One Piece: Tale of the Oni Pirates
by thecosmicrondo
Summary: A one Jamal A. Reed has landed square in the North Blue! North Blue! Fortune favors the bold as he finds out how wonderful and dangerous the world of One Piece truly is! OC/SI - Currently on hiatus until Hunter Hunter is finished.
1. Chapter 1: The Ocean Breathes Salty

"Let us begin. Hohoho..."

The voice rumbled, like the deep ocean...

+x+

Ugh, my head. My body felt hot and wet, and not in a good way.

I absent-mindedly rubbed my wrists, then my neck, before opening my eyes. Got damn it was hot.

I was on a tiny, sandy island. It wasn't any bigger than a parking lot. It'd be comical if I weren't trapped on it. There was even a single tree with coconuts on it.

All around me was the big ol' ocean. Vast and unending. Waves bobbed up and down, up and down. It was the never-ending abyss of wet-wet.

If I was dead why was I here? Is this heaven, hell, limbo?

_Shit, _this doesn't look like heaven. Or hell. Or even limbo! Where the fuck am I?!

I looked around to find a weird-ass fruit, a note, and a big-ass iron club; all right next to the coconut tree.

I shrugged and got up, brushing the sand off my body. I walked over to the note and read it:

**_Dear Jamal Ashon Reed,_**

**_You have died. _**

**_Do not panic! _**

**_You have a second chance._**

**_I have left two things for you: A Devil fruit called the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Oni; as well as a metal club that can change size. Do with them as you wish._**

**_Have fun._**

**_Sincerely,_**

**_Guyton_**

Hot damn! I was in the One Piece World! I started dancing and jumping for joy at my luck!

I paused my dancing the moment I realized I was still trapped in the middle of the ocean...

Fuck!

What to do, what to do...

I scanned the horizon, only to see in the distance a large boat!

Actually, it was really large. _Really, really large_. Huge. Giant.

I've been on ships before. I know ships, and that thing looked like a barge or a baby cruise ship. Maybe a warship? Alright, maybe I didn't know a lot about ships, but I knew it was too big to be some nobody's boat.

But it was a few miles away...If they didn't see me now, who knows when it'd be the next time I'd see another ship.

Whelp, I ain't swimming my way out of here. I had to figure something out quick.

I looked at the rest of the stuff. The club looked like a generic oni-club from animes. Ignoring it for now, I picked up the Devil Fruit inspected it.

It looked like a red and black spikey apple, with the stem looking like white bone. I knew these things tasted disgusting...but if I didn't eat it someone would take it from me.

I ain't going out like Thatch! Fuck that!

I put the fruit between my teeth and took a bite.

_It tasted like shit._

Tears streamed down my eyes from the _sheer _unpleasant, rotten, pungent, bitter, vomity, garbage, and a thousand other horrible tastes in my mouth. With one heroic gulp it went down my throat.

Then I started spitting as much as I could to get the flavor out of my mouth. I rather eat someone else's vomit than eat that ever again.

With that out of the way, I threw the fruit as far as my arm could pitch it. And considering I played football for most of my life, pretty damn far. It dropped into the ocean with a distant 'plop'.

I smiled. I had Mythical Zoan powers now! Yeah boy! I've read fanfics like these, where the main character started out OP as shit. I usually hated them.

But _I _was starting out OP as shit, so fuck everyone else! Gahaha!

Now that all evidence of my ability was gone I was golden. No one was slapping sea-stone cuffs on these wrists. No way, no how.

The next course of action was trying to get the attention of this ship. The ship was far as fuck. If I had to guess, probably four miles away? I wasn't the greatest at telling distance and shit, but I'm pretty sure it'd be able to see me.

I took off my white shirt and blue pajama pants, pointedly ignoring the bloodstains on them as I tied them together. Then I tied it to the fuck-huge spikey club. Now I had a flag as long as a person!

Picking up the club, I used it to help myself up the tree. The palm tree was thick enough so I could climb it using my legs and the club. I was scared it wouldn't support my weight, but I was golden when it barely moved with my added load.

At the top of the tree I used my flag and waved that bitch like my fucking life depended on it (since it _did_...). After what felt like thirty minutes I laughed as the ship turned and started sailing towards me.

Salvation here I come!

As it got closer I saw how _big _it was. It had three columns of canons on either side and was full of people. Four huge masts and a deck that was as wide as a small soccer field. Hopefully, they'd be friendly.

+x+

They were not friendly.

At first I _thought _they were friendly. They _looked _like a Marine ship. It had the same blue and white color scheme as the Marines. Hell, it said _Marine _on it big blue letters.

It was, in fact, not a normal Marine ship. I knew that the moment I got on board the vessel. Actually, more when they clocked me from behind and chained me up. I didn't know if its a Marine ship or a pirate ship disguised as a Marine ship. I only knew one thing.

It was a slave ship.

Faceless Marine goons pushed and shoved me below deck with all the tenderness of a meat _tenderizer_. The butts of their rifles were used often and without hesitation as they kept hitting me with their weapons to move. I struggled against them, but they kept clocking me until I couldn't move. At which point they just decided to drag my battered-ass below deck.

I spit on them as they chained my collar to a wooden pole. That was answered by _another _smack of their gun and a laugh. They left me there in my puddle of blood as they traveled back to the surface. All I could bitterly think was, 'Man, what a nice beginning to my journey,' as I drifted off into unconsciousness.

+x+

I must have woke up a few hours later. I knew as much since there was still light out. Or as much as it came through the wooden planks above me. It was dark in the bowels of this stinking ship. And that wasn't an exaggeration, it was _stinking. _Damp, pungent, and disgusting.

My head hurt like hell. I had blood caked all over my body and all I was in was underwear.

Great.

I looked around to see this deck was filled to the brim with slaves. All types of slaves: Regular people, gigantic people, weird-looking people. Every race, ethnicity, whatever was here. These slavers didn't discriminate.

They also didn't discriminate in their treatment of the slaves either. All of us had some kind of injury on us, me being the gashes and bumps on my head. One guy looked like an emaciated corpse. A giant guy was just beat the fuck up, to the point where I looked uninjured compared to him.

One woman looked as if she was comatose. She was just naked with...well, I don't really want to talk about it.

I sighed as I tried to find a comfortable position, but couldn't. The chains were only long enough for me to lay down awkwardly, or sit right up against the wooden pole. And the ceiling was so low I couldn't stand up, only crouch. Worse of all there was no space, it was like being a sardine in a can: the other slaves were pressing into me with every sway of the ship.

Frustrated, I started pulling on my chain attached to the wooden pole. The other slaves stared at me in annoyance. I didn't give a shit.

"What are you doing? Stop that." A slave behind me said. I turned around to be greeted by a white-haired man with mismatching eyes. One was green and the other was blue. He had dark skin, but it lighter than mine. The guy was big too, probably six feet and a half feet tall. All he could do was sit since he took up so much space there was no slack left on his chains.

His face was old with wrinkles and long with sorrow and defeat.

"Mind your own business," I said as I turned back to my chains, trying my best to pull them off the wall.

"Stop, or we'll all get in trouble. They'll beat us too, and just because we didn't stop you," he said with exhausted anger.

I didn't care," Man fuck you, I ain't staying here. I'm _not _being some slave."

The irony of a black man becoming a slave was not lost on me. It wasn't even funny. I would rather die than be a slave.

"You idiot. Even if you broke those chains you still have the bomb collar on you. Every slave has one," the man said with frustration and annoyance.

I touched the collar on my neck and froze.

Fuck!

I turned around and slumped against the wooden pole. I glared at the man in front of me, secretly blaming him for magically making the bomb collar appear with his words.

It was like he read my mind, "It's not my fault you're in this situation. We all must have been born under an unlucky star."

I snorted. I didn't get that saying and I didn't care to get it, "Yeah. Every single one of us born at the same spot. On the same day. At night. Under the same star. Twinkle, twinkle."

He frowned, "We'll see how well you keep that attitude when they beat it out you."

I frowned back, "Fuck you, grandpa. Don't lump me in with you just because you've given up. I'm breaking out of here when I get the chance."

Someone behind me scoffed, "Yeah. And I'm actually a Celestial Dragon."

"Man fuck you and you're mother, " I spit out at the anonymous man behind me.

"WHAT'D YOU SAY ABOUT MY MOTHER?! I'LL KICK YOU'RE ASS!" He said in a rage, chains jingling as he scrambled to turn around the pole but couldn't. Not enough room to do that.

The old man growled, "Stop agitating everyone! You're going to get someone killed!"

"Man, you guys are fucking agitating _me. _Giving up and-" My eyes became as wide as dishes as I saw the cuffs around his hands. They were the round cuffs I saw Robin wear during Enies Lobby Arc.

Seastone cuffs.

We got a plan, we got a plan, we got a motherfucking plan!

I smiled at the geezer, my eyes wide with triumph, "You a devil fruit user?"

He looked at me dismissively, but answered, "What if I am?"

"What type?"

He closed his eyes and sighed, humoring me, "I'm a Zoan. I can turn into a tiger."

That's more than enough. I stared up at the ceiling, kissed my fingers and pointed to the sky. Thank you, god, for shining down on your boy.

I looked back down at the geezer, who was staring at me like I was an idiot.

"Whats you're name, pops?"

"Sandokan" He said after a minute of hesitating.

Wow, that's a badass name. Alright, "Well Sandokan, what if I told you _I _was a devil fruit user as well?"

He looked at me confused, before looking down at my hands and finding only regular iron cuffs imprisoning me. I smiled as his eyes lit up with understanding. He looked around, seeing if there were any Marines nearby. I knew there weren't, it was too quiet and we would have heard them coming a mile away. But I guess it wasn't a bad move to be careful.

He nodded his head over and over again, as though working himself up to believe the situation was possible. Sandokan finally broke out of his self-hyping and whispered, "What kind of fruit do you have?"

My smile must have been a mile wide as I whispered, "I have a Mythiclogical Zoan type. Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Oni."

His miscolored eyes nearly exploded out of his head, "Why haven't you used it yet?! Hurry up and get us out of here!" He damn neared yelled.

I bared my teeth in annoyance, putting a finger to my mouth and using the other to gesture to 'calm the fuck down', "Shhhhh! I don't know how to use it! I've been trying to change but I don't know how!"

I thought it was like a switch. Just think it and 'poof' animal man, but it really wasn't. I don't know how CP9 learned how to use theirs so quick.

The Tigerman looked at me in confusion before whispering, "What do you mean you don't know? How long have you have had your power?"

I squinted my eyes and pursed my lips sheepishly, I probably looked like French Stewart at that moment, "Uhhhhh. Maybe a few hours? Hehe..."

He smashed the seastone cuffs against his head in annoyance. He then promptly fell over.

"Grandpa! What the hel-"

He sat back up with a huge gash on his forehead, "I'll teach you how to use your fruit..."

I pointed at the man in shock, "Don't pretend like nothing happened! You just hit yourself in the head!"

To my complete annoyance, he continued to whisper as though nothing happened, "Once I teach you how to use your transformation, you'll have no fear of your bomb collar."

I blinked in surprise. I touched the collar lightly, as though any errant movement would set it off. His eyes were deadly serious. He was a hundred percent invested in escaping now, he wouldn't lie to me.

I nodded, as seriously as his eyes, "Ok, I believe you. But why? How won't I die the moment I transform?"

I'm pretty sure the moment I transformed into my Oni form I'd become big enough to break this collar. All the animal Zoan fruits made their users big boys. And the only _other _Hito Hito fruits I know from canon were eaten by a deer and fleet admiral. In the case of the later, he became the size of a building.

Fuck. If I turned into a giant Oni man at the bottom level of the ship, I'll rip through this place and it might sink. Fuck seawater being a devil fruit weakness, I doubt Onis do well in liquids period.

Sandokan smiled confidently, "The Model: Oni is the direct opposite of the Model: Daibutsu. Whereas the Diabutsu gives a person enlightenment, the Oni fruit turns its user into an Oni, the embodiment of human sin and evil. No flames can harm you. You will be given incredible strength and toughness. I doubt the explosion will even bother you."

My eyes brows couldn't be any higher if I strapped rockets to them and sent them into orbit.

'Oni man! Oni man! Oni man!' I couldn't stop cheering in my head.

The train stopped at problem station when the issue of 'giant huge-as-fuck person' reared its ugly head.

"One problem," I said with sadness, my vision of unleashing a can of Oni ass-whooping sailing away, "The Diabutsu turns the user into a giant fucking Buddha. I think we'll all die if I transform."

Tigerman nodded severely, "Yes. It seems you are aware of Fleet Admiral Sengoku's ability, though I shouldn't be surprised. He is known throughout the world. They do call him 'Sengoku the Buddha' for a reason."

Yeah. Let's go with that.

I stayed quiet as the man smiled, a spark of hope coming from the pit of my stomach "You don't need to transform into your full beast form. Your human-beast form will be enough. Even in that your hybrid form you won't even feel your collar go off. Legends say that the Oni fruit bestows immunity, creation, and control over fire; as well as incredible strength. Even a portion of that strength would be enough to escape."

I nodded, "Ok, ok. Hear me out though, what about _your _bomb collar? Even if _I'm _immune to fire and super-duper tough, you're not."

To my surprise, he actually laughed, "I trust you enough to stop the flames. Do not worry about me, I am tough enough to withstand the concussive force."

I stared at him with worry. I didn't know anything about the man except for his name and power, but he had a lot of faith in me.

Fuck it.

"Alright. Let's do this. How long should it take?"

He nodded, fire in his eyes as we set our plan rolling, "Not too long. You're extremely lucky to have a Zoan-type in a situation like this. They're the easiest to use and learn. But before we begin, I must warn you..."

Sandokan looked around one last time before leaning as close to me as his chains allowed him. I mirrored his actions. He whispered with gravity in his voice, "The moment we begin you're training, be ready to release me," he lifted his up his cuffs for me to see, "The seastone cuffs' weak spot is here," he showed me which side the locking mechanism was.

With absolute seriousness, he continued, "The _moment _you transform you will have only have a minute before the rest of the crew comes down. Even in you're half-oni form you will be large. As you can tell, there isn't even enough space for someone as big as you are _currently_."

He was right. I was only five feet and eight and I found this deck cramped as a shoe box. Even if I became as big as Sandokan, I'd bust my head through the floorboard above.

"The moment you transform," the Tigerman said slowly, "crush my seastone cuffs between your fists with all your might," he finished gravely.

"Yeah. Don't worry, I got this pops." I said with a thumbs up.

He nodded at my answer, "Ok let us be-"

"Wait..." someone called out from the dark. We turned to see the giant man I saw before. The closer I looked at him the worse he looked. He looked like he was trampled by a pack of elephants. His bruises had bruises for God's sake.

The man was, as stated before, a giant. An absolute unit as the boys over in England like to say. He had a long, rectangular head with mutton chops on either side of his face. His hair was Super Saiyan Three status, with a widow's peak that rivaled Vegeta's. He had two flame tattoos over where his eyebrows should've been and a large gash in the middle of his head. The cut ran down to his right eye and had become a bloody, puss-dripping scab. The rest of his head looked like a massive, swollen thumb from his treatment by the slavers.

He struggled to speak above a whisper, we had to strain ourselves to hear him, "Please...let me free too. My...my name is Jean Bart and I refuse to be a slave as well."

A voice behind me spoke up as well. It was the man who's mother I insulted, "Aye, me too. Let me free and I'll join you."

And then everyone started whispering as well, begging to be free. Even the woman I thought comatose started pleading in between sobs.

Sandokan looked at me, hard. I gritted my teeth and whispered loudly. I was going to lose my voice talking like this, "Shut up! I'm going to free everyone! But if you guys keep whispering like this someone is going to notice! I ain't going let a damn person be a slave," I said with absolute certainty.

The old Tigerman closed his eyes and smiled as 'thank you's filtered through the dark. I kept whispering 'shut up', trying to get them to quiet down before someone heard us.

"What's your name?" Sandokan suddenly said as I kept hushing people down.

"My name's Jamal Ashon Reed. Call me Jay."

He nodded with a smile, "Call me Sando then."

I cracked a smile as well, "Alright Sando, let's do this."

He nodded his head as all the slaves immediately quieted. I could feel everyone down here staring at me through the shadows. All eyes were on me.

I was used to this. I hated the pressure, but I was used to it.

I wouldn't let these guys down.

"Alright Jay," said Sando, "close your eyes and picture yourself. Imagine as hard as you can yourself becoming a half-Oni. Keep doing it until you feel something. Once you do, _don't stop_!"

I nodded fiercely and closed my eyes. The blackness of my eyelids slowly disappeared as I saw a blurry version of my self. Short hair, athletic build, black. That was me, yup. Ok, so I wasn't very imaginative, but I kept going. I imagined myself transforming like the Hulk into a red-skinned oni.

It didn't take the first time. Or the tenth time. Or the hundredth time. As time moved on I slowly fell into deep meditation. Over and over I imagined myself transforming into a red thing. I don't know how much time passed, but all I knew was it wasn't working.

I started thinking less oni and more like a halfway point. Giant, but not building-sized. Oni-like, but not monstrous like a demon. I imagined myself as a tall person with horns. Over and over. Maybe for hours.

Then something clicked. I felt my body shift as I opened my eyes in excitement.

My limbs stretched and grew disproportionally muscular. My waist elongated as my abs turned into a muscular belly like E. Honda. White horns the size of my human index fingers sprouted from my head. My canine teeth became even sharper and larger, along with the rest of my teeth. Hands and feet were no longer proportional to my body, becoming oversized and Street Fightersque in their ridiculousness. Even my hair was a long messy mane.

The explosion hit me and did absolutely nothing. Sandokan was right, I didn't even feel it.

My head shot through the roof as I was suddenly nine feet tall and staring at a guard on the floor above me. He looked at me in horror before I tore my arm through the wood and pulled him down to me like a movie monster. I slammed him into a wooden pole and he was out before I could drop him.

I turned to see Sandokan smiling with awe and joy. I reached down as he raised his cuffs. With a smash, my fists collided and the seastone cuffs were shattered. I felt absolutely feeble the moment I made contact with the seastone, but instantly felt better when the pieces fell away from me. I moved my feet away from the evil things just to be safe.

I hunched down like the monster I was and put my oversized fingers next to his explosive collar like I was catching a ball. I sucked in a huge, nervous breath, scared of what would happen next. But as Sando's eyes locked on mine I saw the faith he had in me. All my hesitation disappeared.

He roared and in seconds became a massive Tigerman. Giant orange and black fur erupted from him his skin as he stretched to be over seven and a half feet tall. His hands and feet became claws that raked the floor as his body became bigger and bigger. The muscles all over his body stretched and tore the pathetic slave clothing he wore as the material fought not to turn into shreds. His neck expanded to the size of a tree trunk and a massive tiger head with blue and green eyes formed on top of it.

That was also the moment his collar went off. I saw it in slow motion, the fire expanding outward from the metal ring threatening to engulf Sando and turn him into a fireball. My eyes were as wide as headlights as I willed the flames to come towards me. It wrapped around my hands, slithering up my arm like a snake, and settling around my shoulders into a cloak. Sando stared in fascination as the fire danced to my will.

We stared at each other with dumb smiles on our faces. We flung our hands up into the air and hugged each other, "WE DID IT!"

We broke apart and focused up. We weren't out of the woodwork yet.

"Alright, we have a minute before the Marines start swarming us. Can you hold them off while I release some of these guys?" I asked Sando.

The Tigerman nodded, a cruel smile filled with fangs came on his face. His voice was deep and powerful in his tiger-human form, "Aye, that won't be a problem at all," he punctuated his statement by flicking the claws in his right hand.

You do you, bro! You do you!

Sando raced up the stairs. I heard all hell break loose. A warm small came to my face.

I looked around and found the next person to release: Jean Bart.

In canon, he was part of Trafalgar Law's crew. I guess I was in the One Piece world before Bart became a slave to the World Nobles. That was concerning in a lot of ways. I'd deal with that later.

Because of my new size, I had to crawl over to the giant man who I now realized was _way fucking enormous._ The shadows down here made it hard to tell how big he was, but he had to be close to twenty feet tall. I forgot how tall this fucker was. Shit, he did wrestle a Pacifista.

But the way he laid on the floor made him look a lot smaller. He was curled up in a ball from all his injuries and, from what I guessed, a lack of food. I don't know how the slavers got him down here, but it must have been some fight.

I grabbed the collar around his neck and snapped it. The explosion came, but I grabbed the fire and added to my flaming cloak. Just like Sando, the giant tanked the concussive force with his yoked-out as hell neck. Jean Bart looked at me with such intense gratitude I felt I like a cheat for being given it. I got an overpowered fruit, not like I deserved any recognition. Anyone would have done what I did.

Hell, anyone who didn't would be a scumbag.

Big ol' manly tears started flowing from him like Kenshiro as he seemed to breathe new life. He pushed himself up to my eye level and began, "I owe you a debt I can't begin to repay. If it weren't for you, I would have been sold into slavery," he looked at me with steel in his eyes.

He wasn't like this in the manga or the anime. From what I remember he was a stoic dude. But I guess he's experienced some shit and the emotions were getting the better of him. Fuck.

I patted him on the shoulder, "Don't worry big guy. It's time for you're revenge."

He smiled something vicious, wiping away the tears and pushing himself with a strength that I couldn't even fathom. It was like he was a whole new person.

Jean Bart then smashed through three floors with the wooden pole that had held him and starting fucking _everyone _up. Holy shit.

I backed up as the mammoth man pulled himself through the hole he made and unleashed all the pent up fury he had on the Marines.

I moved on to one last person. The man who's mother I insulted.

Reaching the pole that had imprisoned me, I moved around it to find a man with silver hair that was in his thirties. Grey eyes and quirked eyebrows looked back at me as he saw the man who was about to release him. He had a cocky look to him, smarmy. The goatee didn't help either.

"Well, it seems you're an honorable man after all. I had thought you'd be some brute who'd renegade on his word," He said with easy confidence.

"Man, fuck you and you're mother."

"I'LL KILL YOU AND YOU'RE WHOLE FAMILY!" He roared he began thrashing against his chains.

"Calm down. Let me get you out-" My eyes widened to find he was also wearing a pair of seastone cuffs.

"You're a devil fruit user too?" I said with a surprised look.

"Of course. Why would someone as great as me not be? I'll help you defeat those Marines above as gratitude for my release. Though, I doubt you could do it without me."

Man, fuck you and you're mother."

"STOP INSULTING MY MOTHER!" He said as he tried to kick me.

"Fine, fine. I'll stop insulting your ma'. I'll release you. What're you called and what's you're power anyway?"

His smarmy smile covered came back as he closed his eyes, "My name is Peter Mara. They call me the Magnificent Mara, my exploits are known across all the four blues! I am the prodigious Pistonman! Be at awe for you stand bef-"

I cut him off before my head exploded from his speech. My fists smashed through the seastone cuffs and I quickly moved to destroy his explosive collar. His eyes widened as he swiftly turned his neck into a thick, metal piston that blocked the concussive force of the blast that my powers didn't protect him from.

"Alright Pete, I'm gonna' call you Pete, go up there and kick some ass."

He looked at me for a long moment, before giving me a genuine smile.

Then the smarmy look on his face settled back in and I wanted to punch his face. The Pistonman turned his legs into, well pistons, and flew through the decks like a missile. Again, tearing a hole through it like the wood was made of crackers.

I stared up at the holes in the boat, incredibly annoyed, "Come on! I'm planning on taking this thing!"

I sighed as I looked around to see if I could release anyone else that could fight. The sounds of the battle above sounded fierce and I didn't want to leave the three of them alone, no matter how strong they were.

After scanning the area, I realized everyone was either too weak or would be worthless in a battle with a bunch of Marines. I sighed and spoke out to everyone, "Alright! I'm going to deal with these fucking Marines! After I'm done you'll all be free to do as you please! That's a promise!" I said with absolute certainty.

The rest of the slaves looked up in hope, even those who could barely move. I smiled and raced up what remained of the stairs.

It was a war zone. A one-sided one at that. Marines tried their best to stop two devil fruit users and a man so big and strong he didn't _need _a devil fruit. I saw Sando slash through two marines with his massive claws with ease. Piston Pete was pulling a Big O and punching marines off the ship with piston-powered punches.

I smashed my fists together as I roared out. My deep, size-enhanced voice brought me to the attention of some of the Marines not getting their ass-kicked. A gang of them broke away from trying to stop Jean Bart, deciding that maybe I was the easier target. I smiled as I ran towards them, ready to show them that decision was a mistake.

Two of them raised their rifles and fired. My eyes widened in fear as I realized I was being shot at, my reflexes too slow to move out of the way. Instead, I raised my hands in a pathetic attempt to block them, my eyes closed as I braced myself for pain.

It felt like being hit by paintball, er, balls. Not really painful, especially when hopped up on adrenaline. The sound of the round bullets clattering made me laugh out loud.

"YOU CAN'T HURT ME, HAHA!" I yelled at them with all the class of Nelson from the Simpsons.

The three swordsmen didn't seem to like my comment as they slashed at me with their swords, almost in unison. I raised my left forearm to block their attacks in a supreme display of arrogance. To my surprise, the swords actually penetrated my half-oni skin. In another surprise, the cuts were shallow and failed to go any deeper than a quarter of an inch.

Damn, I was tough.

Still, it was a blow to find that I wasn't _completely _invincible. To make myself feel better I pulled my left arm back and slapped the three of them, hard. To my horror, they went _flying_ off the ship. It was a distance of at least fifty feet. I could only look on dumbly.

I turned to the two marines with rifles. They stared at me. I stared at them. They dropped their guns and surrendered. I gave them a nod, respecting their intelligence.

Then I was smashed on the side of the head with something big and metal.

I went sailing through the air, only to stop with a tremendous thump by one of the masts of the ship. When the world stopped spinning, I looked up from my sitting position to see who had hit me.

It was the captain of the ship. I could tell by the Marine jacket and the cocky as shit smile he had on his face. He was carrying my iron club on his shoulder.

He walked over to me with arrogance, even though he looked weird as fuck. He looked like a walking bowling pin that had become animate. His head was long and tall and his body was round with stubby legs. His arms were weirdly out of proportion with the rest of his body, being too long for any normal person. He had a long, Fu-Manchu mustache that reached to the floor and blonde, balding, wispy hair on his head.

To top it all off, his mustache was black while the hair was blonde, making him look even odder.

The reincarnation of Mr. Potato head began to laugh, and that's when I truly knew I was in One Piece, "Oinoinoinoin! You have the gall to rebel against us, you lowly pirate slaves! Instead of becoming _somewhat _useful as slaves, throw away your worthless lives to fight against the Marines! If you give up now I shall consider sparing your lives, oinoinoinoin!"

"Oh yeah? We're wiping the floor with your crew! If anything, _you _should give up before we kill you all!" I roared.

Some of the Marines became unsure of what to do when they realized I was right. Jean Bart alone was wiping the floor with half the crew.

The Captain stroked one of his long, ugly whiskers as he looked at me with one eye closed, "You dare think you could defeat _me,_ Captain Leonard!? I have eaten the Kami Kami no Mi! The longer my hair, the more powerful I am! I am truly invincible! Oinoinoinoinoinoin!"

I stared at him, completely baffled at how he thought he was so strong. He literally had a comb-over. Then I saw his mustache and realized his powers didn't only count for hair on his _head_.,I also realized how stupid he was for telling me his weakness.

I looked at him like the fool he was and lit his head on fire with all the flames I had stored. His mustache and Marine coat went up in a ball of flames. He hopped around the deck with his stubby legs, as his lanky arms did their best to stamp out the flames.

I laughed as he struggled to stop the flames. The captain dropped my club and decided that diving into the ocean was the best move, even though he was a _devil fruit user_. My eyes widened in surprise as I looked over to see him floating in the water like, well, a bowling pin. The top of his head above the water as his lower body bobbed around. I couldn't stop laughing.

I turned to see three marines staring in shock, mouths wide open and bodies shaking. They turned to me like I was going to eat them.

My hands clasped together with a loud pop, snapping them to attention. I pointed to one of them and began, "Alright. You, go tell all you're Marine buddies to surrender. Anyone who does will get to live, as well as be dropped off the next place we stop. We'll also give you all some cash so you don't starve until you're all picked up by you're Marine buddies."

"You! Go find the key for the slaves' chains and release them. If anyone tries to attack you after releasing them, tell me. No fighting until after I find out who treated us slaves like shit," I snarled.

"You!" I pointed to the last man, "Go fish your captain out of the drink before he gets eaten by a Seaking," I laughed.

The three snapped off a Marine salute from sheer habit. Two of them ran off to there assigned tasks while one of them stayed, shaking as he stared at me. It was the one who I had ordered to fish his captain out of the ocean. He was a kid, barely sixteen.

"Yeah Marine?

"Uh, well, sir. It's just that, um, if we follow your orders we'll get trouble."

I rolled my eyes, "Look, just say it was under duress. Or if you want, you can join my crew."

His eyes widened, "Crew sir? You're going to be a pirate!?"

I smiled, "It's all part of the plan," I said my best Heath Ledger Joker voice, "Look, don't worry about it and just help your captain before he drowns. He can't swim, even though he's vaguely penguin-shaped and surprisingly buoyant."

We both looked over to see 'Captain' Leonard bobbing like an apple, spitting out water in vain attempt not to drown. His mustache looked like weak, frizzy ant legs after a dose of my flames.

"Uh, sir, one more thing..."

I sighed, "Come on man, spit it out!"

"Uh, well, y-you're naked sir!"

I looked down to see my wiener dangling in the breeze.

I shrugged. Got to own it now. I waved him away with my hand as he gave me another Marine salute and ran off to find some rope or something for his captain. I looked around to see the battle.

Well, it wasn't much of a battle anymore. Sando had annihilated everyone at the bow of the ship and was sitting on a pile of bodies. Pete had taken out the marines at the stern, any remaining marines foolish to fight him would be piled-bunkered in the face. Jean Bart just fucking went ape shit in the middle of the boat and had tossed maybe half the crew off the ship.

I couldn't help but laugh as I sat naked on the railing of the ship, my club on my right shoulder. This world will be fun.

My eyes focused in on a pair of familiar-looking marines. It was the fuckers who butted me in the head with their rifles!

"Hey, you! Mother fuckers! Come over here!"

Their eyes widened in horror as I trounced on them.

That was the beginning of my adventure on the high seas...

+x+

Guyton laughed as he saw the naked man beating up the marine.

"This will be fun. Quite the entertainment."

_The giant manta ray-like creature stared at you. Yes, you reader._

"Don't you agree?"

* * *

Author Notes:

Hey all! I hope everything is going well for you and continues to go well!

This is will be a fun little story that will link up (very far down the line) to my other story. Hunter Hunter.

Though, like my other story, we'll be exploring the world of One Piece. So unfortunately, we won't be seeing Luffy for a while.

I hope you enjoy

Note: I am not black, but the OC/IC is based on my friend and how he would react. They're obviously not exactly alike. Just his personality traits fleshed out more to be entertaining.

Fun fact: Open office tells me that without the Author Note section the word count for this first chapter is 6666. Hehehe.

Until next time dear readers!


	2. Chapter 2: The Game Has Changed

My fucking head hurt. Between the hit to my head that Captain Leonard gave me and all the shit I've been dealing with in the past two days, my head felt like it was about to explode.

I thought this was going to be an adventure. Not tediously managing a slave ship-type garbage.

But, it wasn't a slave ship anymore. It was _my _ship. With all the boring and stressful responsibilities that came with it.

Let me explain what I've been going through.

This Marine ship was a retrofitted _battleship _turned into a slave ship. A battleship can hold over a thousand marines. A _thousand fucking people_! It was only by dumb luck that we faced around a hundred Marines on this ship. The absolute smallest crew needed to run a ship like this. A skeleton crew if you will. I guess a lot of Marines weren't needed when most of your passengers were in chains...

The rest of the ship's capacity was filled with slaves. This thing was packed with over eight hundred slaves from every walk of life.

The sheer horror of the things I saw as I walked through the bowels of this ship didn't just make my blood boil, it made me feel like my body was coursing with _magma. _I'll spare you the grisly details. Open up a fucking encyclopedia on the slave trade if you want to know more. But I wouldn't...

After seeing that, all I wanted to do was kill all the Marines on the ship, but Sandokan managed to talk me down. I realized, begrudgingly, not _every _Marine on the ship was responsible. That's why my first ever order as a Captain weren't to slaughter the Marines, but to release the slaves.

I delegated the task of releasing, taking care of, and commanding the slaves to Jean and Petey Piranha (he hates every nickname I gave him, and I needed some small joy right now). Between Jean's massive size and experience as a captain, as well as Peter's stupid amounts of confidence (and surprising charisma), they managed to keep the freed slaves under control. Which was good, as there was only enough food to keep them alive, but not enough to keep them healthy. There was _plenty _of food_, _but only enough nutritious food for a hundred people (guess who those fucking hundred were) for a month, not close to a thousand. The rest of the food was watery gruel I wouldn't even feed a dog.

And the quickest way to mutiny was through a crew's stomach. And not _all _the slaves were completely weakened from their treatment. So another rebellion was a real possibility.

My second problem was this ship was _gutted. _Everything and anything that could be removed to add a little more space for a slave, or to lighten the ship so it could move faster, was done on this vessel. That's why the bottom two decks and half the second deck was just bare floor. They squeezed everything a normal ship would into the _other _half of the second deck. Every Marine that wasn't named Captain Leonard slept in cramped bunks. This _Marine _ship didn't even have _jail cells_, because why would it when almost every single inch of this ship was one big prison?

I mean, fuck, almost everything below the top deck looked like an empty warehouse. The only thing down there were wooden poles and support beams that were used to chain us, slaves, up. It was ridiculous.

Yet, not only was the ship basically hollow, but most of the canons were inoperable and only there to look intimidating. The giant, turret, cannon-things on the top deck might as well be hood ornaments for all the good they were.

Thankfully there were a handful of real cannons on the top deck(pointed inwards in case of a slave revolt...), but there was only enough ammo to scare off some small ships. Even then, if this fucker came across a crew tenacious enough...we'd either lose by attrition or the other crew might get tired shooting at this ship, since it'd take forever to sink us 'cause of our size. At that point, they'd just board us...

This ship's only real defense was the fact it was a Marine battleship. Scary, big, intimidating. That meant we needed to bluff so hard everyone folded their cards before even bothering to fight us. While I was sure scrub pirates wouldn't bother us, I was told something by Jean that made me feel like we wouldn't be meeting _only _scrub pirates.

This was the North Blue. Not the weak-ass East Blue. And when I read the manga, East Blue didn't look _that _weak either!

Also, I don't know shit about the North Blue. If this was the East Blue I'd be in a better position to plan out something or prepare for threats better... All I know is that Basil Hawkins comes from here. And that's one tough mofo'...

Moving on... regarding the captured Marines, Sando and a handful of slaves strong enough to fight were making sure the 'good guys' that didn't play ball with us were docile and quiet. That meant boom-boom collars and spiffy chains for them. Apparently, the marines had a controller that let you point the device at a collar, press the button, and the collar would blow up.

Real nifty thing. It kept them quiet. That and the gags in their mouths.

I hope they like how it feels to be on the other side of the slave-master relationship. Assholes.

After getting all that settled, I had two days of reading crew and passenger manifests, captain logs, itinerary logs, inventory lists, etc...

I didn't like what I found.

All of it pointed to me being fucked...

Fucked! Fucked! Fucked!

Signed letters by someone called 'Joker' telling Captain Leonard (code name 'Toupee') to deliver the 'employees' to the 'Public Employment Security Office' in Sabaody in a month. As well as the 'cargo' to Punk Hazard afterwords. From there, they would go to Dressrosa to pick up a shipment of 'tools and supplies' to be delivered to various buyers in the North Blue.

The amount of code they wrote in was annoying. It was obvious what they were referring to, I mean, with my meta knowledge at least. But for the sake of turning the obvious into cold, unpleasant reality...

The employees referenced in the letters were most of the slaves. On the other hand, the cargo to Punk Hazard might be some of the child slaves and _maybe _Sandokan? Caesar Clown might have wanted to experiment on the Tigerman, seeing how he makes artificial Zoan fruit and all...

Tools and supplies were a _lot of fucking weapons_. Enough to arm half a thousand people to the teeth. And they were heavy-duty things, like to arm a small terrorist group for a guerilla war, or a crime syndicate. I think? I don't know shit about flintlock pistols and rifles, but Sando said they were heavy shit.

And, unless the Joker from DC Comics made the jump here as well, this fucking boat's in league with _Donquixote Doflamingo_. The employees referenced in the letters were most of the slaves. On the other hand, the cargo to Punk Hazard might be some of the child slaves and _maybe _Sandokan? Caesar Clown might have wanted to experiment on the Tigerman, seeing how he makes artificial Zoan fruit and all.

What I don't get is...I was in the North Blue, so why take slaves from here when you could get them on the Grand Line? I understand selling weapons, so maybe making the supply chain as efficient as possible? Who were his agents here? Were there even agents on this ocean? Fuck, I wish I had an eidetic memory of this series.

There was also the issue of this _really being _a Marine ship. I wish it was just Doflamingo's ship disguised as a Marine ship. But noooo, _of course_ the captain and all the staff were legit. Or as legit as a bunch of Marines that work directly for Vergo, and by extension Doflamingo, could be. That meant, yup, the ship was assigned to the G-5 base. _That _wasn't even hard to figure out; all I had to do was to _look up_ at the sails.

Knowing how the G-5 base Marines were, they could pretend these Marines went rogue and write them off if they got caught. Even if this Marine crew was set up to be a corrupt fall guy by Pink Boa and Food-Face, the World Government and the Marines would still cover this all up with extreme prejudice. To say nothing of the fact I stole a _battleship, _the only offense they could pin me on that I would admit to being true.

So, let's add this all up. I was on a neutered battleship owned by Vergo, with not enough food, that was being used to ferry slaves captured by Doflamingo, and sold to Sabaody. Oh yeah, and maybe transporting guinea pigs to Punk Hazard to make fruits for Kaido. And then would pick up weapons to be smuggled back to the North Blue.

Do I have everything right? I don't want to miss any bullshit I haven't touched yet, ya' know, really roll around and hit every turd on the ground.

When I took over this ship I was like, 'Yaaaaay, One Piece!', now I'm like, "Fuuuuuuuuck One Piece..."

+X+

As Sandokan and Peter walked into the captain's cabin for our meeting, they found me bouncing my head against the captain's desk like I was trying to dribble it with my skull. Conveniently the captain's cabin was at the stern and was the highest place on the ship, so Bart could sit in; at least from the outside. Currently, the giant bastard was sticking his head sticking through a porthole window like a giraffe being fed at a zoo. I was lucky Bart could sit in, or our meeting would have place taken someplace less secure to accommodate him. And I rather everything stayed private.

"You ok, Jay?" Sandokan said with concern.

I probably looked like a crazy person. The only clothing I had on was a white Marine jacket over my shoulders and a makeshift loincloth made from more jackets. Nothing on this ship fits me and I refused to wear any slave rags. Rubbing my nuts on Captain Leonard's clothing was one of the few joys I could take from this whole situation.

I waved my hands to let them in, "No, no I'm not. Please, sit. Take the chairs I can't _sit _in," I said while sitting on the floor, as the chairs in the cabin couldn't hold my weight in my half Oni-form.

"You _could _turn back into a human, that'd let you sit down. You also _would _be able to wear normal clothes instead of using jackets as diapers," Pete pointed out.

I lifted my head off the desk and stared at the two, adjusting myself to look somewhat professional, "Nah, I'm good. As long as I'm in this form, no one knows how I look like in human form. That can come in handy later," I said as I organized the papers in front of me in preparation for our meeting.

I examined the two former slaves who helped me take over the ship, committing their appearance to memory.

Sandokan looked like an old, weathered Michael Duncan with the Weeknd's new haircut, but with old white hair. Shit, if Sando had the Weeknd's old hairdo I'd throw him off the ship. The Tigerman had a small, scraggly white beard that was about three or four inches long. Lastly was his eyes: a green eye in his left, and a blue eye on his right. He had taken some marine clothing for himself, wearing a jacket similar to mine, except he didn't look like a giant, black Captain Underpants with a hair of mane like me. He looked at me with patience.

I turned to Pete. Peter Mara, now that I thought about it, looked almost identical to the actor who played Quicksilver in the Avengers. No, he looked _exactly _like Quicksilver, long silver hair and all. It was uncanny, except for the goatee he had. He was wearing the typical sleeveless Marine uniform, the only thing missing was that wack, blue rag around their neck that only Fred from Scooby-Do would wear. He instead used it as a bandanna. His green eyes looked at me with impatience.

I turned to Jean Bart. He looked like how Bart would look like in real life, not the shitty Netflix version. He was _big_, his neck was inhumanly thick, and he was the king of resting bitch face. He was _always _either frowning, scowling, or sneering: like he always had a pebble in his shoes and could never get it out. The thing that struck me about Bart though was how _real _he was. Especially since he looked at me with a respect I really _didn't _think I deserved.

That sounds stupid, _realness_, but it's like seeing an elephant for the first time in person. Seeing its' breathing, the movement and twitches of its eyebrows as it looked around. The life in its eyes as it contemplated it's elephant thoughts and ate its elephant peanuts. The swatting of its elephant tail, the inhalation of its massive lungs and the shifting and stretching of its grey, rough skin as a result. That was how it felt like looking at Jean Bart, the awe of realizing that the thing standing in front of you is _real. A living breathing reality._

It was as if Bugs Bunny jumped out of your TV screen and said, "What's up, doc?" But it wasn't a giant cartoon character and instead was a four-foot-tall living, breathing rabbit. That also fucking talked. It was surreal.

It also sobered me up when I realized I'd probably be _fighting _people as big or bigger than Bart. I was half his height and Jean Bart was still _way too fucking big_. It was like a Featherweight boxer vs a Heavyweight. I can't even imagine fighting true giants...

I shook those thoughts out of my head and focused up. When everyone was ready, I pushed a piece of paper forward towards the two men in front of my desk. Jean squinted his eyes to see the paper from his seat outside the window.

"Do any of you know who 'Joker' is?" I asked as I looked between the two Devil Fruit users in front of me.

Sandokan shook his head, but I instantly could tell Pete knew as he nodded his head as slow as a glacier. Sweat dripped down his face as he read some of the instructions in front of him from 'Joker'.

The Pistonman looked at us in fear, his face a ghostly white as all his confidence was gone at the sight of the letters, "He's the most powerful man in the underworld. Weapons, slavery, illegal goods, smuggling... the man has his fingers in almost everything. If this was one of his operations..." he finished, visibly shaking.

Well, that reaction wasn't good for me; but it was exactly what I needed. _I _knew I was in deep shit, but I needed _him _to tell everyone that.

I continued to play dumb, "How do you know about this 'Joker'? How how much do you know about him?"

He shook his head violently, as though if he denied it hard enough he could the situation disappear, "Everyone with a shred connection to the Underworld knows that man! As for what I know of him...not much, but he has connections to the Five Families in the West Blue. He sells weapons to the families and the smaller gangs there," he looked around, terror in his eyes.

Damnit, I knew a lot about ol' Pink Boa, but nothing relevant to my current situation. It wasn't important if he sold shit in the West Blue, that's not here! And I don't give a fuck if I knew every character in the Dressrosa arc by name, damn it, especially if I was half a world away from that country. Fuck me, Peter didn't even convey properly how _fucked _we might be. I needed relevant info on Doffy's activity in the North Blue and to get these other two to know the severity of the situation...that also led me to another issue...

"Well, alright. That's not very helpful, but its something..." I said in frustration.

Sandokan raised his hand like a student in a classroom. I looked at him oddly, before nodding towards him to speak.

"Thank you. If I may interrupt, I think we have more immediate matters than this 'Joker' character," the Tigerman said calmly, but with a serious look on his face.

"What do you mean?" I said, confused.

"We don't have a clear command structure. While you've taken the position of de facto captain, for now, there's nothing official. And we still haven't settled on a hierarchy."

He was right. I turned to Jean, who was nodding his head in agreement. The giant spoke up, his gravelly voice immediately commanding attention, "And, we aren't sure if _you _should be captain either."

My eyes narrowed at Jean's head. I turned back to see Sandokan with his arms crossed and Peter with his fingers intertwined on his lap like a businessman. Pistonman was looking serious, managing to stop trembling enough to look intimidating. I could tell these three assholes were thinking the same thing: they wanted to be captain. And they were ready to fight for it.

I had expected something like this might happen, considering the people I was on the ship with. From what I've seen, these three could easily be the captains of their own pirate crews. For Jean, I knew for a _fact _he previously was. Even Peter, probably the weakest and most 'normal' human out of us four, was strong enough to sweep a squad of Marines without a problem.

But I'll be damned if I'd give up control of this ship to anyone else. _I _freed everyone. I started this shit. I'll die before I have this ship taken from me

I steepled my fingers on the table in front of me. It was supposed to be an intimidating gesture, but I was nine feet tall and looked like a fat grown man at a kindergarten table. I still did my best to come across as professional and as intimidating as possible, given the circumstances.

"Fuck you guys. This is _my _ship and I'll fight you three if I have to," I said without fear or hesitation.

Sandokan narrowed his eyes while Peter had a cocky smile on his face. Jean stared back at me with a sneer. Time seemed to stretch on forever in the silence of that cabin. All of tensing up, ready to see who would make the first move...

Jean Bart shifted his body, ready to stick his arm through the window and beat me down into paste with his tree branch arms. Sandokan unwrapped his arms and flexed his fingers like unsheathing claws, no doubt waiting to transform and cut me up into ribbons. Peter cracked his neck and rolled his right shoulder, hand balled into a fist, preparing to use his piston ability to turn me into tenderized meat. They were ready for a fight...

My body tensed up as I prepared myself for the battle ahead.

And in a blink of the eye.

They laughed?

In Jean Bart's case, he was chuckling. The other two were dying of laughter: Sandokan was doubled over slapping his knee in laughter, while Peter's head was rolled back, holding his stomach and pointing at me in a fit of hysterical laughter.

"YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN YOU'RE FACE! YOU WERE SO SERIOUS! PFFFAFAFAFA!" The Pistonman as tears of laughter streamed down his face.

"I'LL KILL YOU SILVER-HEADED ASSHOLE!" I yelled back at Pete, but he just kept laughing.

Sandokan was the first one to settle down and explain, "One of the Marines you allowed to roam free explained to me that you planned on making a crew. The three of us discussed it over and decided that, if you did, we'd join you. But..."

Bart spoke up from his position at the window, "But I refused to follow someone who wasn't willing to fight for the position. If you didn't have the character to stand up to us, you'd never be able to lead a pirate crew. So that's why we did this,"

Sandokan nodded, "Yes. It's one thing to be a pirate, another to be a pirate captain. You need strength, the willingness to use it and a goal. That's what's important to me: a captain's goal! A captain without a worthy goal is one I won't ever follow. So, before we continue, what is _your _goal?"

I smiled at the old man. There was no doubt in my mind what I wanted.

"I'm going to be the greatest pirate ever... I want adventure! Fame, fortune, and one thing!" I said without hesitation, dopamine shooting me up with excitement and happiness, adrenaline shocking me with energy like a defibrillator.

I knew the next two words would change my life forever.

"One Piece!" I roared with a huge, toothy, shameless smile. The three of them looked at me with wide eyes, as though shocked and taken aback by something.

I slammed my fist on the table and then pointed at the three of them. "We might be knee-deep in shit, but I'm going to see One Piece! If I become Pirate King or not, I want to see what the One Piece is with my very own eyes! No matter what!"

Sandokan looked at me with awe...and nostalgia? The Tigerman shook his head, smiled, then started roaring with laughter, "I thought these old bones had gotten too tired to be a pirate! Here comes another kid that thinks he can reach One Piece!"

He kept laughing as he slapping his knee. I started getting annoyed as his laughing started to stretch on beyond my liking. But, before I could say something, he stared at me with such intensity and faith that I stared at _him _in awe. I felt strange, like an enormous burden was now placed on my shoulders. He roared, "Fortune favors the bold! I'll bet on you, Jay!"

I stared mutely at the man. A grunt from Jean broke me out of my wonderment and brought my attention back to the big man.

"You freed me. I still have a debt to pay off. I'll follow you too, Captain," Jean Bart said with a grin. That meant a lot coming from him, considering all Jean did was frown, sneer, or look annoyed; some times all three simultaneously.

Peter just shrugged, "I just need a ship to stay on. I don't care who's the captain, even if it's _you_," he ended dismissively.

I glared at the man who just ruined my awesome moment, "Man, fuck you and your _father!_"

Pete began thrashing around as Sandokan held him back from attacking me, "I'LL KILL YOU, YOU OVER-SIZED IMP! HOW DARE YOU INSULT ME!?"

"Tch," I ignored Pete and continued, "alright. I'm the _captain _of this _ship_. But before I accept you into _my crew_, I need to know a bit about you guys and why you're in the North Blue."

That caught _them _off guard. That's what you three get for pulling a fast one on _me. _Bitch, this was _my _ship. They could sail on it, but that didn't mean they were in _my crew_. A ship and a crew were two different things. While we fought alongside each other, I didn't know who they were. And look how well that went for Thatch.

I pointed to Jean Bart, "You first."

Not unexpectedly, he sneered, "I was born here. I've been pirating here for the last few years with my own crew. Only recently did I decide to journey to the Grand Line... But I was defeated by another pirate and his crew. Then captured by the Marines before I could even set foot on those waters..."

The giant man snarled then elaborated on his story, "Me and my crew managed to escape the other pirate crew, but we were in bad shape. 'Course, that's when we were attacked by 'Black Cage' Hina. She captured us, but Captain Leonard was the one who was in charge of transporting us to prison," Jean finished his explanation with a grunt.

I nodded my head and pointed to Sandokan. He nodded and started his explanation, arms crossed and eyes closed.

"I was born here as well. I came back here to live a peaceful life of retirement. I was working as a handyman in Notice. But it only lasted a year before I was ratted out by a client who found out I was pirate. He had the bounty poster and everything. All because he didn't want to pay me for fixing the roof on his damn house," he said with a humorless chuckle, though there was amusement on his lips.

"Alright, what about you?" I said as I pointed to Peter.

The Pistonman shrugged, "I came from the West Blue to form my own pirate crew! With a small loan and a dream in my heart, I set sail to escape the wickedness of the Five Families, forever at grips with on-"

I saw where this was going, so I cut him off, _hard, _"Hey! HEY! Give me the cliff notes!"

He gave me a dirty look, "Cliff notes? What are you babbling about you ogre?!"

I snarled, "Shut up Piston-Penis. Tell me the short version!"

He frowned, "Fine! I was arrested for 'intent to create a pirate crew'. Like the other two here, I was transferred to this ship and became a slave. I believe they forged or lost the paperwork so we would disappear, or so I overheard the Marines say."

"You would be right," I pulled out a stack of paperwork for prison delivery, "None of us were being delivered to any prison base or, thank god, Impel Down. I'm surprised they even went out of their way to grab me," I said as I rubbed my chin.

The rest of them looked angry and upset, but they weren't surprised how evil most of the Marines on this ship were. I mean, we dealt with them so we know, but having signed paperwork felt...different. Almost made the evil official. Routine and trivial...

I stared at Peter. I noticed a discrepancy in his backstory. Something didn't make sense to me.

"So...why did you leave the West Blue to come to the North Blue? You didn't have to come to the strongest Blue to make a crew," I asked the Pistonman, genuinely curious.

Except, _I_ was curious in the same way a police officer was curious why a burglar had his hands in a safe.

Sandokan nodded, "That _is _a good question. There's no reason to come to the North Blue. Not unless you were running away from something..." he said knowingly, probably a step ahead of me.

Peter looked at both of us and gave us this weird, tiny, oval smile. His eyes grew innocent as he shrugged, his arms curved upward above his head as though he stopped in the middle of a ballerina pirouette.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. The North Blue is my favorite sea!~" the liar said in a sing-song voice.

I pointed one of my index fingers at Peter and scowled, "Tell me everything or I won't let you stay on the ship, let alone be in my crew," I said, dead serious.

The man scowled at me before crossing his arms and turning away, "Fine, fine! I didn't have a loan... Just so happens I _may _have stolen some money from one of the Five Families. And a fruit as well."

I slowly moved my face back onto the desk. I prepared my self for what he was about to say, "Ignore me. P-please..._please continue..._", I lied, my voice strained like I was having a prostate exam.

"What? The man I stole from was Capone Bege," he said as though it were nothing.

My face hit my desk so hard I made a hole in the stupid thing.

I lifted my head up to looked at the three of them. They looked concerned, as well as confused, as to my reaction.

"How much money was it that you stole?" I asked, voice as dead and lifeless as possible.

"Maybe one hundred million berry?~" He said sing-song again with his stupid tiny smile, innocent eyes, and weird-ass shrug.

"A HUNDRED MILLION BERRY?!" Sandokan and I yelled at the same time. Even Jean Bart looked _slightly _perturbed; the bastard rarely emoted, but even I could tell he was shocked.

I turned my head to Jean Bart, now realizing who the pirate that fucked him up was. But I asked anyway because, apparently, I was a masochist for bad news and needed to make my nightmares into physical reality.

"And who was the pirate that beat you and your crew up?"

"It was Basil Hawkins and his Hawkins Pirates," he snarled, his eyes filled with visions memories of his battle with the pirate known as 'Magician'. Or I assumed _was _a battle and not completely one-sided beatdown of Jean and his crew.

I groaned, a headache coming on, "Does that mean he is still on this Blue?"

Jean Bart growled, rage in his eyes. I growled in rage and frustration my self. I wanted to fling myself into the ocean and let my devil fruit weakness sink me to the bottom of the ocean floor.

Sandokan gave me a look of confusion, "Now hold on a second, what's the problem here? Other than 'Joker' and the Marines, we don't have anything to worry about. We need to start making immediate plans on what to do with the ship."

I looked at him with one eye squinted, "What do you mean 'what's the problem'? We have three groups after us and another one that's roaming this Blue like the Grim Reaper! We only have four people on the ship that can hold their own and aren't cannon-fodder. And, no offense to them, but the rest are ex-slaves. Most of them are just regular people, some even kids."

Sando put his hands up, gesturing me to calm down before speaking, "Way I see it, we're fine. This 'Joker' is expecting the slaves in a month. The Marines won't know about this ship being stolen for about two weeks. This, _Capone Bege_, doesn't know where Peter is. And, while Basil Hawkins' crew is powerful, that isn't an issue right now."

I started spinning my index fingers around each other before speaking, "Wait, back that up. How do you know the Marines won't know about this ship for two weeks? You're other three points make sense...but how can you know about the Marines?"

Not that I had any worries Sando was a Marine snitch, but I dunno...I'm a suspicious dude.

He nodded before speaking, "I understand you're concern. For the sake of trust, I'll admit I was a Marine in my youth before becoming a pirate. So I know most of their protocols."

I rubbed my chin again, and idea forming, "Why only two weeks, can't we stay hidden longer?"

He shook his head, "No. Marine ships radio back to their base every two weeks to update their last known location, as well as to get a passphrase that prevents _this _very scenario from happening for too long," Sando said as he extended his arms to, er, use this exact scenario as an example, "from the logs in the communication cabin, they had _just _radioed in two days ago and received a new phrase. As for staying hidden...we, um, threw the communications officer overboard during the brawl and we can't seem to find the passphrase... and the protocol for, 'Sorry, we lost the passphrase!' is to come back immediately. The Marines don't play around. You'd be surprised how often Marine ships get hijacked," he shrugged.

Can't I get some fucking luck, _please!_?

I squeezed the bridge of my nose and sighed, "Ok, well at least we have two weeks before the Marines are after us. And a month before 'Jok...Man fuck this," I huffed in frustration.

I'm not going to hide my knowledge.

The three of them looked at me in confusion as I cut _myself _off mid-sentence and began digging for a clean sheet of paper. I managed to find one and scribbled down a 'contract'. The three of them continued to look at me perplexed, Sando shrugging when Peter looked at him for answers.

When I was done, I slapped the paper on what remained of my table with one hand and gestured at it with my other like I was showing them a brand new car, "Alright! This is a contract for my crew. The Oni Pirates!"

The two of them looked at the contract in front of them. All it said was, '**ONI PIRATES MEMBERSHIP CONTRACT - Those below are part of the crew:'**, followed by a bunch of hastily drawn rows and columns. Jean squinted in confusion, while Peter was far less subtle in is criticism.

"Are you stupid or something?! That's not a contract! That's a bunch of boxes! What's wrong with you? Are you illiterate?" he squinted at me, almost _genuine _in his concern for my lack of literacy.

I sneered at the Pistonman, "If I was illiterate I wouldn't have been able to write the title at the top, asshole! We sign it with our fingerprints in blood. Right in these boxes. It'll serve as proof we're crewmates. Here, let me show you."

I bit the tip of my thumb with my sharp, demonic teeth. I found myself bitting harder than I thought, even with dagger-like teeth and the full force of my jaw muscles. My skin was _tough_, god damn. After a minute of chewing on my thumb like a giant baby, doing my best to open injury myself and _failing_, I managed to open up a small drop of blood.

I squished my thumb onto the first box, a giant bloody fingerprint being left behind. I then signed my name underneath it.

"See?!" I said, holding a thumbs-up sign with my blood left thumb.

Peter shook his head, "Oh yeah, what about Bart here? How is he supposed to leave his fingerprint?"

Jean Bart raised a hand for us to see through the window. I grimaced at the size of his hands, his thumb alone was almost as big as a man's head. His fingerprint would take up an entire paper by its self. I feel sorry for his poor future wife, holy _shit_.

But I refused to admit I was wrong to Peter, because I'm a petty and spiteful asshole, "Fuck it! I'll use more paper! Now are you guys going to sign over you're soul to me or what?"

The three of them looked confused and slightly startled. Sandokan spoke up, his hand covering his mouth as if he were whispering, "Are you using your demon powers on us?"

"NO! You're the one who told me about my powers in the first place! Wait...do I have soul contract powers?!" I said, excitedly.

"No," The old man said dismissively. A slick, trolling smile on his face

"ASSHOLES! ALL OF YOU! WHAT THE FUCK THEN IS THE PROBLEM?!" I roared in annoyance.

Sandokan laughed at my expense. He bit down on his thumb and placed his bloody fingerprint in the box people mine, then he signed his name.

Peter sighed and followed next. I was annoyed at how dismissive of the whole thing he was.

Jean Bart frowned as he flailed his arm into the cabin and started knocking shit around. I had to guide his bloody thumb onto a fresh sheet of paper before he tore apart my cabin.

After that was settled, I nodded and placed the paper in front of us, "We are now officially the Oni Pirates!"

Two of them roared out a resounding 'Yes!", with all their resolve, while Peter rang out with all the enthusiasm as wet tissue paper. But even Peter's lackluster effort wasn't to rain on my parade. A tingle ran down my spine upon realizing what just happened.

This was it. My crew! The beginning of my journey!

I smiled and pumped my arms above my head, "YES! GAHAHA! WOOO!", only for my excitement to disappear the moment I smashed a hole through the roof of my cabin from suddenly standing up.

"GOD DAMN IT!"

The rest of my crew laughed.

+X+

After clearing out the wreckage that I had created from my celebration, we continued the meeting. But I had to say something before we restarted.

"Alright. Since you guys were honest with me and are my crewmates now, I have to tell you guys something. It might be sound stupid, but it's true. Ok?", I said like a nervous kid telling his crush that he liked 'em. Or a kid telling his friends something cool and personal and hoping that they find it just as cool.

The three of them nodded. Or well, two of them nodded and one of them rolled his eyes. Fuck you, Peter.

I smiled, a rush of adrenaline pumping through my veins as I readied myself for what I was going to say.

"I'm from another world," I said a seriously as I could, but my smile kept fighting me to come out. They didn't react...so I spread my arms out like 'tada!'

Still nothing...

Sandokan looked at me with pity and confusion, as though all the excitement got to my head. I turned to Jean, who looked at me impassively, but I could see in his eyes that he was starting to doubt his choice of joining me. Peter wasn't subtle at all.

"Did the Marine captain knock some screws loose from your head?"

I scowled at the man, "No! It's true! I'm from another world! One completely different than this. In fact, we have more continents than the Red Line. Seven in fact. We have things like planes, cars, and technology way more advanced than this..." I stopped as I looked up to see them staring at me like I was a nutcase.

They stared at me with genuine concern in their eyes. To my chagrin, Peter started to tear up.

"He's finally broke under slavery," the Pistonman said, completely seriously as he started to cover his wet eyes with one of his forearms, _unnecessarily dramatic._

"I WAS BARELY A SLAVE FOR A DAY!" I roared and pointed at the damn silver-haired asshole.

"He's gone hysterical!" Peter said in a high-pitched voice as he pointed to me like some scared Victorian-age woman.

"I'm going to beat you to death with this desk!" I screamed, lifting the desk up an inch off the ground without issue.

The Pistonman's eyes widened in thoughtfulness and surprise, "Wait, so you haven't cracked under the pressure? You're your normal self? You're being serious?" he said, awe in his voice.

I placed the desk down gently and sighed with relief. Finally, someone believed me. Can't believed it was Peter though, "Yeah. I haven't 'cracked'. I'm my normal self, and I'm being serious."

Peter looked at me strangely before pointing at me like a child and declaring, "So you're just crazy?!"

"I'M NOT FUCKING CRAZY! IT'S THE TRUTH!" I roared at the idiot.

Sandokan raised his hands, gesturing us to calm down, "Alright, settle down you two. It's kinda hard to believe it. You're starting to sound like Liar Noland."

I looked at the old man with dead seriousness, "That man wasn't a liar. Mont Blanc Noland really did see a city of gold..." That storyline was heartbreaking...as well a lesson on what could happen to _me._

I realized as I saw the looks of disbelief on their faces that I was sounding like a man who swore he saw bigfoot or aliens. Ya' know, real hardcore crazy shit. People who talked like that back home went to the asylum...or give 'em a talk show or something, shit. Either way, even if I did come across as sincere and credible...no matter what I said or did, without evidence, I was as good as a liar. Don't let it be said I don't learn from others: Ussop's and Noland's sacrifices were not in vain.

A grimace appeared on my face, "Yeah, I'm just fucking with you all. Just pulling your legs. Let's move on to the rest of our meeting..." I said with barely hidden frustration.

Sando looked at me, he knew I was upset, "Jamal, you have to under-"

"Don't worry about it. I'm messing with you all, OK?!" I said, maybe a little bit too harshly, but I was annoyed.

Sando sighed and nodded, "Well, first we-"

"Nope," I said, cutting off the older man. _I _was in charge of this meeting, "We still have more important things to discuss."

"Jamal, we have-", Sandokan started, only to for me to cut him off _again_.

"Sando, _I'm _the captain of this crew. And while I appreciate you're input, you already hijacked the direction of this meeting. Yes, I understand we have _immediate _things to work on, but we won't work on them until _after _this meeting is done anyways. So, the quicker I get done with what I need to say, the quicker you can get to say you're piece."

Sando looked...not angry, but bordering on frustration and disrespect. I don't think he was ready for me to pull rank so quickly. But he nodded nonetheless.

"Good. You'll realize how important this is the moment I start."

I shifted through the papers I found while rummaging through the Captai- MY cabin and found the papers I needed. I slapped them onto the table: the Seven Warlords of the Sea's bounty-frozen wanted posters. They looked like standard wanted posters. But their bounty prices had a line struck through them.

"This one, right here," I pointed to the smiling blonde man in stylized sunglasses. Old Pink Boa himself.

"This is 'Joker'. Donquixote Doflamingo. One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. That's who's operation we've fucked over."

Now Sandokan and Jean looked properly nervous. Pale faces, dilated pupils, open mouth, sweating: the whole nine yards baby! I guess having a vague enemy didn't make things real enough, but even they knew who Doffy was. They _better_, Jesus.

Sandokan's shaking hand covered his mouth before speaking, "Well, that isn't good at all. I can see now why you wanted to get to this first," he said while nodding. His previous feelings toward me probably felt _silly _by comparison.

"Yeah. I don't know shit about the North Blue, see. Believe me or not about my origins, I have zero info on this world when it comes to this sea. But you guys do," I said, pointing to them each.

To my surprise, Jean was the one who answered, "Decades ago, as a rookie, Donquixote rampaged through the North Blue before heading off to the Grand Line around ten years ago. He arrived like an explosion, quickly becoming a Warlord of the Sea, and only two years later becoming the King of Dressrosa."

My eyebrows shot up at all the information he knew, "You sure know a lot about this guy, huh?"

Jean frowned, then sneering before speaking, "That's because _every pirate _from the North Blue knows about him. He's the measuring stick for all us North Bluers. If you ignore that he's a Warlord, and outside the Yonkou, he might be closest to being Pirate King... What I do know from living in this Blue is... this 'Joker' persona fits him like a glove."

Sandokan turned to Jean and nodded, "Aye. That man is the owner of the North Blue... in everything but name. I'd wager the only force that might surpass him in the North Blue is the Germa Kingdom, and that's with a huge 'maybe'."

The Tigerman rubbed his chin again, coughed lightly, and then frowned, "While this isn't good, we still have plenty of time to get out of this Blue. Doflamingo is expecting the slaves in a month. Even after he finds they haven't arrived, it may take weeks before he can send people to properly investigate. At the moment he's not an immediate concern."

He pointed a thumb behind him as he spoke, "And again, the Marines won't figure out their ship is missing for twelve more days. Even when they find out, it'll take weeks for them to get to this ship's last recorded location. So we only need to worry about the Marines for now."

I shook my head, gladly wishing that were the truth, "I'd love if it were that simple, but Donquixote has connections in the Marines. I know for a fact this ship is owned by one of his subordinates. A Vice Admiral by the name of Vergo. We have two weeks until they find out their ship's been taken."

Sandokan looked like he was punched in the gut. I turned to see Peter...damn near ready to pass on to the afterlife. White as a ghost on the ground, his legs twitching like a dead cockroach.

"Peter...you ok?" I said, genuinely concerned about his mental state.

"B-but my life has only just begun...I hadn't even begun to create my legend...," he reached out towards the ceiling, as though desperately trying to touch something.

"Whelp, Peter's clocked out," I shook my head in frustration, "from what you're telling me, Sando, we only have like, three weeks until the world is after us."

"Yes," the old man said gravely, "considering Donquixote is 'Joker' as well, his resources and connections will be...beyond what we can expect. We won't know who is an ally or who is an enemy. We have to be prepared for anything."

Peter kneeled at my desk like a man praying for forgiveness at the feet of God, "But we're just slaves, right. We couldn't have cost him that much money, right? Right?! What if I put on my collar again?!" he said, delusional.

I scoffed, "I did the math already, there were...I found the prices for slaves in this cabin and let's keep it at that. On average a human slave sells for at least half a million berry. Round down to eight hundred slaves, that's four hundred million berry right there, alone."

He looked at me like I killed his entire family. _And_ his little dog too. Shit, I wasn't even done yet.

"There's about five hundred rifles and pistols each. As many swords too..._and_ ammo. That's another, I'd say, eighty-one million berry. Then if you factor in the cost of the ship in lost revenue over the course of.."

Peter's eyes rolled to the back of his head before I even finished, foam spewing from his mouth as he passed out on the floor. The Pistonman, 'renown through the world', was OUT! Ding, ding, ding. KO!

"Why'd you have to do that to him?" Sando said with an amused smile, but it was mostly forced. The Tigerman as sweating bullets.

"'Cause, he has to know how serious of a situation we're in. I'm not gonna lie to you guys. As my crew, I'm going to always be honest with you guys. So be honest with me: if you want to leave that's fine. I'd understand with all the things we're facing," I said seriously and honestly.

Jean scoffed, "I already have a debt to you. And if the man who's responsible for all this is after us, then I'll be happy to fight that bastard," the giant snarled.

Sando nodded in agreement, "Aye. I don't know what's going to happen, but I know you're not going to be leaving this boat, are you?"

Peter gargled.

I looked back at Sando and chuckled. I guess it was that obvious I wanted this ship. It was a BATTLESHIP for fuck's sake! It has paddles and a seastone hull! And I _doubled checked _I had those two things. I could sail the calm belt as long as the ship had enough fuel. The only thing that sucks for my crew was starting off we such a powerful enemy right from the bat...

Motherfucker, give me _Buggy _as a starter villain, not fucking _Donquixote Doflamingo. Shiiit, _I'll take Arlong and his whole damn crew. Right now.

But I pressed through my worries, a large smile on my face as I answered Sando, "Of course. This is _my _ship. Plus, other than the shitty blue coloring, it has everything we need as flagship for my fleet!" I said without a hint of humility.

"You don't think small, do you, Jay?" Sando said with a smile and a chuckle.

"No, no I do not! Gahaha!" I laughed out loud before settling down and getting back to business.

"Alright. So let's finish this part of the meeting. We have about three weeks before the Marines and Pink Boa are after us. We don't need to worry about this guy's problem for now, " referencing the unconscious Pistonman's issues, "and the only other dangerous 'unknown' is Basil Hawkins' crew, but we can't worry about that for now. Is that about all the threats we have mapped out?"

Jean and Sando nodded in agreement. Peter gargled.

"Alright. We'll move on to what you wanted to talk about Sando," I gestured to the older gentlemen to start.

He smiled, "Thank you. I'd thought you would've forgotten. Call me a fool for thinking that. Anyways, we don't have enough people to man a ship like this with only _four_."

Jean spoke up, "Yeah. And the slaves are getting restless. We've been adrift for two days with no plan or direction."

Sando nodded, "Exactly, it's an issue that'll explode if we don't fix it. Luckily, I have a plan..."

+X+

A few hours later I stood at the door of my cabin, staring out at the top deck of the ship like I was on standing in front of a presidential podium. Flanking me was Sando to my right and Peter to my left. Jean was so big that he stood on the level below us and his head was still at our eye level. The semi-giant had his arms crossed, looking like a bouncer-dog-_thing_, scoping out for trouble in a club, or a dog park. He still hadn't changed out of his brown, slave rags. There wasn't anything big enough for him to wear, outside the masts maybe.

Sando had his arms at his hips and a large smile on his face. Peter stood confidently, if a little pasty looking from passing out before. Jean had his arms crossed, scowling. _Daring _anyone to cause trouble. He still hadn't changed out of his brown, slave rags. There wasn't anything big enough for him to wear, outside maybe the masts.

The reason why Jean was on edge was that we were standing in front of close to a thousand people. Or as many as could fit on the top deck of this ship. Slave, Marine; everyone was here.

I sighed and cleared my throat as _everyone _stared at me. Hundreds of eyes looking at me, wide with anticipation, with a focus on _me._ God damn Sandokan and his plans.

"Alright, everyone! You all know me as the man who broke you from you're chains-" I couldn't continue. The roar of the cheering slaves drowned out anything I could yell.

I beamed.

I stared at the crowd in front of me. Men, women, children, elderly. Every slave was dirty, tired, and wearing brown slave rags. They all had old, red marks from where the collars and shackles had bound them. Many of them had horrible injures from all the abuse they took for months. When I walked through the decks of this ship and saw the condition the slaves were in...I thought all hope had been beaten out of them, all the joy and life ripped out of their very souls. As though dead, inanimate husks to be shipped off like wood.

But in front of me, every _single __**person **_was overcome with so much passion, strength, and joy that I was struck dumb. It was like night and day. They were _free._ They were _**alive**_.

I looked around at the scene unfolding in awe.

People were throwing things in the air, _anything_ at hand, in celebration; as if it was midnight on New Year's. I don't know where they got hold of those weapons, but some men had pistols in their hands. They were hooting and hollering, shooting them into the air guns akimbo. Children were staring up to me like I was a superhero, being hugged by their mothers who looked at me like I was the greatest man on the planet. As if from now on I was to be their children's role model. There were groups of people hanging off the railings and masts from pure elation, reaching out to me as if a single touch could bestow them a lifetime of happiness. Even some old men, far beyond me in age and wisdom, looked up at me with _reverence and admiration_.

Many of these battered, broken people were at death's door only a few days ago. Most of them were ready and eager to die. But now they were filled with so much vigor...so desperately ready to _live! _To live, dream, and go out into the world and fulfill their absolute potential in life! To go out and grab hold of their destiny!

They...they really thought the world of me. They thought I was their savior...

Someone was going to steal their experiences, their connection, their happiness away from the world? Someone was going to take this much greatness away from the world? All this potential? All this life?

I cried from sorrow at the sight of all these beautiful _people,_ at the idea that anyone of us could be them, snuffed out forever by the simple whims of a single man. I cried from joy over the understanding that they thought so much of me, that they had such love for a nobody like me for one simple act. But more than, I cried because they were _free and_ _happy_.

And yet someone decided they were less than human? That they deserved to be _slaves_? That their freewill and dreams were nothing? To extinguish their burning passion to _**live**_?

The last emotions to make me cry were a pair: sheer indignation and **rage**.

I felt a hand on my right shoulder. I turned to see Sando smiling fiercely. His nod was all the encouragement I needed.

I gripped the railing in front of me so hard it was almost reduced to splinters. I roared passionately out to the crowd, "**WE ARE FREE! NO ONE WILL TAKE OUR FREEDOM AND RIGHT TO LIFE! NO ONE WILL STAMP OUT OUR BURNING WILL TO LIVE! TO THOSE WITH FAMILIES! YOU ARE FREE! TO LIVE PEACEFULLY AND RAISE YOUR CHILDREN! SO THAT THEY CAN GROW TO CHANGE THE WORLD! SO THEY CAN MAKE THEIR DREAMS A REALITY! AND TO THOSE WHO HAVE NO PURPOSE! TO THOSE THE WORLD HAS TRAMPLED! TO THOSE WHO THE WORLD HAS CAST OFF...LET ME OFFER YOU A PURPOSE..."**

I released my hold from the railing and extended my arms toward the crowd, offering them all my hands in cooperation, "**COME WITH ME SO WE CAN SEE ONE PIECE TOGETHER!"**

The crowd looked on, eyes wide and taken aback. As though physically hit by the force of my words. I repeated them, so as to make sure they _knew damn well _I meant it. I threw my fists into the air above me and _roared:_

**"LET'S SEE ONE PIECE TOGETHER!"**

The ocean exploded with the cheers of those once damned and dying, now blessed and filled with the will to _live_.

+X+

Basil Hawkins stared at his tarot cards. Outside he was impassive as always, but inside he was perplexed.

"How odd. Fate has changed," the man said as his ship sailed toward Notice.

His crewmate, Faust the Zou Black Cat answered, "Oh? How so?"

The Captain of the Hawkins Pirates continued to look impassively at his cards, "The danger of our trip has increased...to one hundred percent."

The cat's eyes widened in surprise, "An-and what was the chance before Captain?" replied in his dignified voice.

Basil Hawkins continued to stare at the cards, trying to understand what could have changed so drastically in the North Blue.

"It was fated for zero."

+X+

"Ma'am!", said the Marine has he saluted his commanding officer.

"Report?"

"Regarding the prisoner delivery! It was as you suspected, Pirate Captain Jean Bart did not arrive at the 501st Branch in Lvneel, Ma'am!" said the Marine Ensign.

"Find the last location of Captain Leonard. Hina always hated that little weasel," said the Marine Captain name Black-Cage Hina.

+X+

Capone Bege sat in his luxurious chair, at his luxurious desk, in his luxurious office, in his luxurious, high-class restaurant that served as his front for his criminal organization. The Bege Family.

Sitting there in all his opulence and money, with not a threat or a challenge left in the West Blue, there was one thing he couldn't shake out of his head.

It was absolute boredom.

The man name nicknamed 'Gang' was the undisputed King of the West Blue Underworld. Time and time again he had decapitated the leadership of the other four families and allowed them to rebuild. All so he could enjoy the ensuing chaos that unfolded from the power vacuum. But after so many times it wasn't even entertaining anymore. It was just _sad._

So, for the man who ruled and owned everything in the West Blue, there was nothing he could find in his domain that could ease his doldrum.

"Is this how's gonna' be for the rest of my life? Stupid silence? No challenges? Just sit on my 'thrown' and die on my ass?" the 'Boss of the West' said disappointingly, while chewing on a fat cigar.

He heard a knock on his door. Who the hell could it be?

"Yea', you can enter," said Capone with a sneer in his voice.

One of his subordinates entered, a brown-haired man in a gray pinstriped suit. Capone hated the man. The man thought he was bigger than he was. That he knew more than everyone. He didn't, the goon was just another bum with too big of a dream, and too little of brains. Still, he was useful. Maybe he would be useful now to relieve his boredom...

He gave a low bow before speaking, "Fatha', forgive me if I'mma' interruptin' somethin', but we got some info on da' guy who owes ya' money. Ya' know, the guy who wanted a loan ta' be a pirate?"

Capone remembered. The silver-haired bum came to him, begging on his knees for money. Said that'd he be a big shot pirate. Said he'd pay him back three-times the amount within three months. Said a lot of sweet somethings, but had a whole lotta' nothing to back it up. The guy always said sweet things and never learned. So he was tossed out on his ass from Capone's restaurant, his gift a simple beating and the good grace that Bege _allowed _the silver-haired idiot teeth to eat solid food.

But the man had the _audacity _to steal from the Father. Not only did he steal a hundred million berry, but also a priceless devil fruit he was to sell to at auction. He would admit, the man had balls. Too bad those balls would be placed on Capone's desk: cast in bronze and used to remind his enemies what happen when you steal from him.

"Fatha'," the underling said as he broke Capone from his thoughts, "A mole in the Marines said a man matchin' his description was arrested in the North Blue. Da' idiot couldn't even get a crew before gettin' caught."

Capone sneered. To think this was the person who managed to successfully steal from the most powerful Don in the West Blue.

"Fatha'," the man repeated, as though compelled to address Capone by title alone. And he would unless he had a death wish, "just say da' word and we can have a crew there in no time."

Capone turned to his subordinate and opened his mouth to say 'da' word', but stopped. And an idea struck him. A brilliant and terrible idea that would relieve his boredom.

Brilliant for him, terrible for the world.

A smile slowly spread across Bege's face. It was an ugly, cruel smile, the smile of a sadistic and bloodthirsty man.

The smile of a man who knew the world was _his_.

His to do as he wishes. To be his _plaything_.

"Bring me everyone," the Father said to his goon.

"Everyone boss?" the underling questioned in confusion.

"Everyone!" Capone growled menacingly as he rose up, tossing his luxurious chair behind him and knocking over his luxurious desk. He met the worthless man who dared question _Capone Bege, _staring him right in the eye while cocking back a fist_. _He punched the man in the face with the force of a castle, hitting him hard enough to send him flying through the door of his luxurious office. The man fell through a table in the dining area of his luxurious restaurant, the luxurious customers staring in panic and horror.

All these luxuries meant _**nothing **_to a man with his drive, talent, and intelligence. Money didn't matter when he could earn it all without any trouble. Power meant nothing when he had nothing to use it on. And influence meant little for a man who controlled everything. Even people were pawns Capone Bege's amusement. But now the pieces didn't move, and the players didn't play.

There was no challenge. No fun.

But that silver idiot thought he could be a pirate... That sounded like something good. Churn the seas with blood and chaos.

A real challenge. Real fun.

Hmm...he had to start somewhere. Maybe he'd start by sailing to the North Blue...and thank Peter Mara.

_Personally_.

+X+

Doflamingo laughed.

They found a Tiger Zoan? Caeser will be happy when he hears about that.

Now if only if _Kaido _would get off his back.

* * *

Hey all! I hope everything is going well for you and continues to go well!

The board has been set. The players have been gathered. Who will win the game that unfolds?

*Tron legacy music start playing now* DUUUUUUUUUUUUUN!

I will admit, this story is more fun to write than Hunter Hunter, but probably ten times harder since there are so many moving parts in the One Piece World.

Until next time dear readers!


	3. Chapter 3: Navigating Hopes and Despair

It was the middle of the night. A lone candle illuminated my cabin as I looked down at the contracts on my desk. Dozens upon dozens of bloody fingerprints from eager people ready to fight for me, die for me... to give their entire life to me. A hundred and fifty-two people. A hundred and fifty-six counting my officers and I. Six pages.

All because of a foolish, selfish dream.

They were simple, flimsy papers. Yet it felt like they weighed a million pounds each.

I licked my lips. I had been shaking uncontrollably every time I was alone, and tonight was no different. I hadn't slept since the day we took over the ship. That was three days ago. It was only yesterday that I gave my speech and yet that felt like it was a year ago. It was past midnight and I still couldn't get the tightness to disappear from my chest. That heavy, paralyzing feeling that was only felt when so much was on the line. When everything was riding on you. When people relied on you. When you could let everyone down.

This is a feeling I've felt before... this overwhelming pressure. But it was the worse I've ever felt...

It was worse than the pressure to succeed in college. Worse than the pressure of leading my football team. Worse than the pressure to succeed in my internships. Worse than the pressure to succeed in my new job. Worse than the pressure balancing my work, school, and life.

Worse than the pressure to please my parents.

I felt like I was being submerged underwater and I couldn't breathe. And I couldn't get out because someone was holding my head underwater. I kept looking at the papers in front of me thinking, 'What if I fuck this up? What I get these guys killed?'

I was dreading sleep. If I went to sleep, time would skip forward, and all I wanted was for time to slow down. To stop.

I was terrified of tomorrow...

What will tomorrow bring? How would it greet me? I didn't want to welcome tomorrow. I didn't want it to ever come, to bring me whatever new terrors and problems it had in store for me.

I spoke from the heart when I was in front of that crowd. I meant every single word. When I finished that speech...and all those people crowding around me... Touching, kissing, hugging. It was the greatest moment of my life...

Followed by the crippling realization of the unbelievable responsibility I had just taken on myself. I was only twenty-three. I had just started my Masters in Business before I...passed on. That was the hardest thing I ever did in my life. That was nothing to this. Now, because I got swept away by fool ideas, I thought I could lead an army of ex-slaves? To take care of the ones that stayed with me and to bring the rest back home?

I had the entire world against me. The Marines and Donquixote Doflamingo would be gunning for me soon. The strings slowly approaching...

It felt like I started a game of Dark Souls on New Game+, and I only ever watched someone else play the damn game. And I can only die once because this is real life and not fucking game.

I growled in frustration. I could just abandon everyone. Hop on a rowboat this ship has, row to some island, and hide away forever. Stay safe, live an easy life. Easy.

Hell, I could just leave these guys and join up with Luffy. I know where he is, vaguely.

But that... that felt harder... worse than just doing what I'm supposed to do...

Plus...call me stupid, but I want to see One Piece first.

My mind screamed back, 'At the chance of dying and taking all these innocents with you, Jamal?'

What is wrong with me?

I sighed as I pinched the bridge of my nose from habit, my hands still trembling, as I tried to shake the fear from my mind. But I couldn't. No matter what I did my fingers wouldn't stop shaking...

I gritted my teeth, got up from my position at the desk and snuffed out the candle next to the stack of contracts. I pushed my desk to the far left of the room and lied down. This room was too tiny for my giant body. Only ten feet by ten feet. I was nine feet tall, so it might as well have been a kennel. Hell, the comfy bed at the northern wall was a twin, so I couldn't even sleep in it. So, for the fifth time tonight, I laid down on the wood floor huddled up in a ball. I tried not to let the pressure of having over eight-hundred lives on the line crush me into pieces.

I heard a knock on the door. I ignored it, pretending I was asleep. I didn't want to talk to anyone right now.

The person knocked again. They waited for a moment before speaking up.

"I know you're awake. You just turned off your light," it was Sando, his deep, calming voice coming through the door.

I didn't respond.

He sighed, "I heard you moving your desk, Jay. Can I come in?"

I stayed quiet for a minute before sighing and ultimately opening the door. My body and arms were big enough that I could reach over and open the door without getting up off the ground.

"It wasn't even locked. If you knew I was awake, why didn't you come in?" I said as I sat to look him in the eyes.

"It wouldn't have been-," he paused as he turned his head to cough into a fist, "polite. Besides, you're the captain of this ship. It'd be unacceptable for a crewman to enter the captain's quarters without permission," he said with a smile.

"Yeah. True," I said with a shrug, his logic infallible enough for me not to protest.

I scooted so I could sit against the far right wall, Sando sitting down as well and taking a spot next to me. Even though I was more than four feet taller than the man, I felt smaller than him.

I stared out the port window in front of me. The moon and stars shining down brightly. Brighter than I ever thought they could back home. The rays of moonlight and starlight intertwining like silver ribbons through the dust and motes the ship kept as souvenirs of its age. The boards of the ship creaking as we bobbed on the soft, black sea. The sound of water lapping against the seastone covered hull of the ship was so soft it sounded like loving whispers from a mother cooing her child to sleep.

But here be dragons... If you listened closely, you could hear the sound of a distant Sea King. Its cry sounded low and long, like a whale singing its beautiful song to its pod.

We stayed like that for a minute. Just enjoying the silence of the sea. The turning of the water. The stillness in time.

It was...amazing. This...this was the quiet beginning of my adventure. Tomorrow we'd head off to Notice.

It felt like the warm crackling at the beginning of a vinyl record: you were about to experience something amazing.

And yet, at the same time... I was scared of the song the record might play...

The atmosphere was broken by Sandokan covering a cough with his fist.

I sighed... I turned to the older man and studied him. He was still wearing the same marine outfit as yesterday, his captain jacket buttoned up. He looked like a captain. The real captain. But I was the Captain, and he didn't even want the position of first-mate. He passed that over to Jean Bart. All Sando wanted was the job of ship navigator and that's it. That surprised us all.

I stared at the old man who I never saw in One Piece.

Who was he? What was he doing here? And what was he with us for?

"So...why are you still awake?" I said, breaking the ice as awkwardly as I could.

He nodded, his face a soft smile of amusement, "Heh. It gets harder to sleep the older you get. My cough gets worse at night. Then the coughing stops and your bones hurt. And when you're older, your back starts hurting. So when your bones do calm down, you can't find a good position to sleep. When you do finally find a comfortable position...then you start thinking about the past..."

"Damn. It sucks getting old," I answered, honestly.

The older black man chuckled, "Aye. That it does," he turned his head towards me and winked, "the secret is not to grow old. Simple, right?"

I gave a small laugh, "Pfft. So easy, ain't? Why hasn't anyone done it?"

"Because no one's thought of it yet," he clapped his hands against his face, as though finally revealing an ancient mystery, "we're genius, aren't we Jay?!"

I laughed, "You're an idiot, Sando," but I couldn't stop laughing. It was a stupid and corny joke, but... I needed that laugh. I felt my eyes turn wet, so I turned away and quickly rubbed the growing tears away.

"Something on your mind?" the old man said as he turned away to look out the window, doing me the favor of pretending not to see my tears.

"Nah," I sniffed, "Nah, I'm good. Just hard to sleep too, ya' know?" I lied.

Sando sighed patiently, shifting his aching body against the wood wall to find a more comfortable position.

I had the power of a demon. Nine feet tall and bulletproof, with the option to become as big as a house. I could punch down walls and I was immune to fire. Hell, I could control fire. I had every right to feel confident!

Yet with all that... I still felt scared. Scared and alone.

This was One Piece, yes, but the entire world might as well be off the coast of Somalia. Luffy and his crew were beloved because they were the exception to the norm. Everyone else was as dangerous and as ruthless as they come, even the 'good' guys...

In that dark cabin with my arms wrapped around my knees like a child, I truly felt...

"Scared. I'm scared," I said, my voice as small a child's and as fragile as glass.

Sando nodded, coughing a bit before speaking, "This won't make you feel better, but that's normal. You would be crazy if you weren't scared. I've been a captain before, in two different lifetimes: both Marine and Pirate. The burden grinds you down if you let it. It's immense. Especially with a ship and crew this big, and the problems we have."

He was right, it didn't help. The lapping sea and the cries of the Sea King making me feel smaller.

Tiny in this vast ocean.

Insignificant in this world. Even with all the power at my disposal.

Utterly alone. As always.

I closed my eyes. I leaned my head back against the wooden wall as I rubbed my hair and breathed, "What's wrong with me, Sando?" my voice cracking.

He spoke softly and kindly. With experience and understanding in his voice, "Nothing. Absolutely nothing. It's OK to be scared. But it's also OK to dream big. That's why you're crew is here. To share that burden and achieve your dreams. And in fulfilling that dream, we find purpose. You have every right to feel overwhelmed. Because you care about us. And that's why we follow you."

Tears streamed down as all the negative emotions building up inside of me fought to be released. All the darkness and doubt running through my mind trying to escape my eyes like a sieve. I drove my fist into my mouth as I fought to keep my emotions inside, while my mind screamed out to be weak. To just let it out.

Sando laid his massive hand on my shoulder, "You care about us, even when you have no reason to. You have a big heart. Nothing wrong with that. In my book, that's what makes the best Captains."

I cried, even though I tried to fight it. But even with my hands against my eyes, I couldn't stop them from coming out. But Sando was there, patting me on my tiny shoulders, encouraging them to come out. Like a gardener tenderly watering his plants.

"It's alright. Let it all out. Better to show weakness here than in front of you're crew later, right?" Sandokan said with a knowing smile.

So I did. I cried. I cried like I never cried before. I cried because I needed to cry. To feel weak and vulnerable. These worries were heavy. To carry the lives of hundreds of people on my shoulders. For one second, I wanted to not feel the responsibility bearing down on my like an avalanche. To not feel obligated to keep being tough and strong, to stop showing a mask so people thought everything was OK.

Even if for one brief moment in time.

"Hey, why don't you tell me how you're world is?" he said, grandfatherly.

"I-I thought, I tho-thought you didn't believe me?" I said as dumbly as a child.

"Yeah...but why don't you convince me, huh?" he said, without a shred of condescension, but with genuine acceptance.

So I did. I told him all about the crazy things we had. Planes, cars, boats. TV, computers, sports. Movies, games, shows. Anything and everything. I don't know when it started those late hours of the night, but I came to look to up the old man. Somehow he seemed even bigger than me.

For the first time in a long time, I didn't feel alone.

I don't know when I fell asleep. But that was fine.

I wanted to see what tomorrow would bring.

+X+

I woke up as we all do when we stay up late and after a good cry: empty and lethargic...

Also, cursing the treacherous sun for its existence and bargaining with it for more sleep. That too.

I found I was in my bed, human-sized. I guess Sando tucked me into bed when I fell asleep. I whispered a 'thanks' under my breath, as I turned around to hide my face against the wall. My pillow firmly against the side of my head as I fought the sun and failed...

Go away sun, you suck... No one likes you... I just want to sleep a few more minutes...

But it was not to be, as the sound of seagulls cawing were more potent than any alarm. Those asshole things wouldn't stop, no matter what. Filthy flying rats. They shit everywhere while using our boat as a taxi and buffet. Stealing food when we weren't looking and depriving my crew of vital energy. I never hated something so quickly as these evil birds.

I cursed those sea pigeons with all my power as I got up and concentrated enough to find some clothing. I put on a pair of Marine pants and a Marine Captain jacket unbuttoned, choosing to go barefoot as I headed out of my cabin.

As I walked down the steps from my room at the stern of the ship, I gazed at the hundreds of people walking around in the sun...

And immediately I squinted at the rays of sunlight assaulting my virgin, nubile eyes. Ack! I felt like a vampire as the sun hit me about as hard as I've ever felt before.

God damn, it was bright. And hot, holy fuck. I felt like I was in Florida during a summer break. I thought this was the North Blue? Isn't North cold? I sighed as I wiped away the sweat quickly building on my forehead and failing. I guess my half Oni form protected me from all the effects of fire, including the glare and heat. I got spoiled by my Oni form. Now it was like I took off an air-conditioned lava suit that I had gotten used to wearing.

After my eyes got used to the light,

I finally managed to stare at the passengers on the top deck. My ship was alive.

It's amazing how fast a community could form, even under the darkest of circumstances. A dozen kids were running on the deck playing a game of tag. Some of them were playing hop-scotch using some chalk we found or playing jump rope with our extra ship lines. Women and parents were exchanging stories with each other, talking about what they would do when they got back home. The elderly, some older men, and a hand full of children were all crowded around the two chest boards and one checkerboard. They were using a barrel of watered-down alcohol. They watched the slowly moving games unfold with intense concentration, occasionally commenting on a move or just talking shit about a move.

There were a lot of people. Too many. All of them trying to burn through time since we were back in an age without TV, smartphones, or the internet.

There was nothing, nothing to do other than to find something to do. Even if you had to get creative.

Like this group to the right side of the ship. They were getting together and arguing about something. That wasn't what was interesting, what caught my eye was one of them had a violin and was waving around the bow like he was emphasizing his point. With enthusiasm. He was surrounded by three other people, all of them with instruments. In the case of the two black guys, a crap ton of buckets.

Some of the buckets had canvas stretched over the top of them, somehow held together, maybe by glue? Two buckets had canvas on both ends. Another pair had canvas over the opening of the bucket, but didn't look any more modified. Others were just regular looking buckets. The two guys had two sticks, though I'm pretty sure they were just wooden stirring spoons.

There was a tall guy with an acoustic guitar in his hand. He was just strumming the strings as the man with the violin continued to argue with the two 'drummers'. He had an easy-going smile and half-lidded eyes. The man saw me staring, turned towards, and waved me over. Curious anyway, I took him up on his offer and walked over.

"So this is how you look when you're not ten feet tall, cap'n?" he said with a small chuckle. He continued to strum his guitar absent-mindedly.

The guitarist had a mane of wavy black hair and looked vaguely Hispanic. Tan skin, weathered face, black eyes, and a Latin accent lent to that image. He had to be at least six feet and two inches tall, and was lanky. This guy looked like a living version of Brooks, except shorter. Way shorter. I remember his name was Silvio.

The other three musicians pulled themselves away from their argument and turned towards me. The man with the violin had long black hair as well, but it looked feathered and voluminous; like a mop of hair on his head. You could barely see him beyond the mess of bangs on his face, but he looked to be in his thirties. His face looked like the bad guy from Quantum of Solace, the french dude. I forget his name. Though the violinist's name was Jacques.

The last two were black, brown-skinned compared to my dark black skin tone. They were brothers, but one was a few inches taller than the other. One was my height while the other was around six feet. They both looked exactly like Bob Marley, or more accurately, his children. It was uncanny. They were both tapping their feet to an imaginary beat, looking cheery. They were Wyclef, the bigger and older brother, and Khalib, the younger one.

I was happy to see everyone was looking and feeling better. Only four days and the ex-slaves were healthier and were getting their complexion back. They were getting color back to their skin and, while still mostly skin and bones, were getting their fat and muscle back. It made me feel better for rushing into taking this huge burden on my shoulders.

The man with the violin bowed like a nobleman as he dipped low over one leg, arms splayed out behind him.

In a thick French accent, he spoke, "My captain! How it is an honor to talk to you in person! I must say, your speech yesterday was truly a sight to behold. It is why I have joined your crew! For I am a musician, yes, but I uphold the noble tradition of the bard! They have died out as of late, you see, World Government and all. Kingdom's neutered! Chivalry dead! Pirates all around!," he leaned over and whispered theatrically, "It is a damn shame you were born in this age and not eight hundred years ago, no? Though no one knows much about that time, it must have been one of romance!"

I didn't know what to say. Mostly because I wasn't used to his accent yet, but also because he talked so fast and smooth. The guy was a human hurricane of charisma.

The two drummers started to laugh. The taller one on the right who looked like Ziggy Marley spoke up, "'Weh da' rush brudda''? Let a man have time to listen, he don't even have time to think wit' how fast you be talkin'. Ya' fool."

Ah shit, they're accent was thick too.

Jacques looked at them peeved, ignoring them pointedly and continuing, "I say this: I wish to spread the Tale of the Oni Pirates to all four Blues! Yesterday was the beginning of a grand tale! It must be told to the world! Now, do you think we should start off with a somber tone, or as these two fools suggested, something upbeat?"

The two brothers laughed.

"How about we just start something? We can figure it out later," Silvio said, still casually strumming his guitar.

I swung my finger at Silvio, "This man is on to something," I gave them a wave and left before they could draw me further into their argument.

A few minutes later they were jamming out, music floating over the ship as they worked together to figure out something. The other passengers on board flocked to the quartet, cheering and offering suggestions. Many passengers danced to the lively music, making me think the brothers won out. Honestly, I hope it's just a good song. Toss A Coin To Your Witcher was fire bro, I can only hope those four make a song half as good as that.

Laughing at my thoughts, I walked towards the bow of the ship. The sea had been calm the entire time I've been on this ship, and today looked to be no different. That was good because you would be surprised how hard it is to walk on a damn ship, even a calm on. I didn't have super strength anymore, so my regular legs were really working out to keep my self stable on this ever bobbing ship.

I've been an athlete all my life, but there's a reason the original Ninja Warrior winner was a fisherman. Walking across a ship on calm seas is already a test of balance, on a storming sea, it probably feels like walking around during an earthquake.

Shit, now that I think about it, it's no wonder all the slaves don't feel like me right now. The whole world is mostly water, traveling on a boat is like walking or going on a bus to them. Most of these people have traveled on the sea at one point or another because they have no choice. Back home, you could walk from the tip of Portugal to the other side of Russia, then back down to the tip of Africa if you were crazy enough.

Here, everyone needed sea legs because there was no other way to travel. Unless you really liked swimming in waters filled with Seakings and regular ol' sharks.

Also, I feel like Alice in Wonderland when she ate that shrinking food. I had gotten used to everything being...tinier...

"Jay!" called Sando, breaking me out thoughts.

He was at the tip of the ship where the useless cannon turret was. With him were Peter and Bart.

I frowned at our useless cannon, a reminder of how impotent this ship was. I shook my head in annoyance before walking over.

Sando gave a warm smile. For the first time, I looked up to Sando...

...No seriously, I forgot how big Sando was. I only saw him while I was in human form once, and he was sitting down at that time. Now that he was standing and I was only five foot, eight inches tall, he was a big boi. Truly a big boi at six feet, five inches from what I can tell.

That was nothing compared to Bart. It was ridiculous how big he was. Right now he was hunched over, so I reached his belly-button, kind of, but when he stood up back straight I didn't even reach his dick. It's emasculating to think he could place his balls on my forehead and there's not a damn thing I could do to stop him in my human form.

I stared at Peter. He was normal, about six feet tall. Meh.

"Why are you looking at me like I'm the least impressive!" Peter roared, jabbing a finger at me.

Pfft. He's kinda thin compared to me. I was shorter than him, but I was close to two hundred pounds and most of it muscle. Built from years of football, basketball, and weight training. By comparison, Peter looked in-shape but scrawny. I couldn't help but smirk, I was bigger than him in my human form.

Peter curled his lip, one eye twitching. Electricity jumped between our eyes. The burning passion of competition engulfed our hearts.

We really wanted to beat the shit out of each other. That was probably the one thing we agreed on this whole time we were on this ship.

"Captain, it's good to see you looking better, last few days you were really run ragged. That's good, because we have a lot of work to do," Sando said, smiling.

Jean nodded before following up after Sando, "Yeah. We've have to check everything on this ship before we pull anchor and set off to Notice."

"Haven't we done that already? That's what we did the first two days we were here," I said, craning my neck upwards to hold a conversation with a man as taller than an elephant.

"Yeah, but we always check again before sailing. Always. You never know what can change in the sea. Even in a few hours."

I nodded and turned to Sando, "Alright, let's get to it then."

I started to take off my jacket to turn into my hybrid form before Sando held up a hand to stop me.

"Hold on there. Before we do anything, I wanted to talk to you about your hybrid form. Me and Bart are going to teach you everything about running a ship, but you're going to learn while in human form."

I looked at him, puzzled.

"Why's that? Wouldn't it be easier for me to do the work as a big Oni man?"

He shook his head, "It would, but you're a Zoan like me. That means your human form influences how strong you are when you're transformed. I can tell right now that you're...nothing special in human form."

What?

What?!

I took off my jacket and started to flex my muscles built from hard work and exercise. Nothing special, get the fuck out of here! Arnold Schwarzenegger would have been proud of my posing.

"Bro, look at this! I yoked, son. Ugh, yeah," I said, as I flexed my biceps and popped my pecs rhythmically.

They didn't look impressed at all.

Sando rubbed his jaw, shook his head, then walked away. He grabbed a large wooden barrel with both hands and brought it over to us.

"Here, grab this," he said, moving the empty barrel with ease.

I moved under the barrel and placed my fingers at the bottom, ready to catch it, "Man, alright but wh-"

The moment he let go of the barrel, the weight drove my hands toward the ground, almost crushing my hands against the wooden planks we stood on. Only my reflexes stopped me from losing my fingers, my body moving on its own as I twisted my upper body and arms, half-pushing and half-lifting the barrel away from me. It hit the ground with a crash, the lid flying off and spilling gallons of seawater onto the deck.

"What the fuck!?" I said, looking at Sando with annoyance.

"That was about two hundred and fifty pounds. Those muscles mean nothing, Jay, if they aren't strong enough for this 'world'. What you told us has been going through my mind for a while. Your a well-built young man, but you should be stronger in your hybrid form than what you showed in your fight. Your Zoan form is weaker than mine when it should be far stronger. That tells me your human form is weaker than someone of your size and physique should be on this world."

"Wait, you saw me fight?"

"Yes. I was sitting on a pile of bodies after all. I had plenty of time to watch," Sando said, a dark chuckle coming from his lips.

I adjusted my jacket in annoyance before speaking, "Yeah, well I still beat the Captain, didn't I?"

"That you did," Sando conceded with a tilt of the head and an amused frown, "I can't take that away from you, but you'd have lost in a straight fight without your fire. Jay, he hit you so hard on the head that you flew twenty feet and cracked the mast."

Sando pointed his finger and looked at me seriously before speaking, "Even when you fought the Marines, all you did was slap them around and use your enhanced strength and endurance. It's easy to tell, even with all that muscle, you've never been in a fight in your entire life have you?"

I squinted at him, my bottom eyelids reaching halfway between my eyes. I bit my lower lip as I answered him, "Maaaaaybeeee?..."

Sando snorted before speaking, "Just admit it."

"Fine, yeah, I've never fought anyone in my entire life. I've done plenty of sports, but I've never even wrestled somebody, let alone thrown a punch."

The most I've ever done was slap box with my cousins. My parents hated violence, hated it. They barely tolerated me playing sports, so they never let me take even a karate class for fun. As I grew older I wanted to learn, I just never had time to do anything like that, even though I wanted to learn BJJ and MMA.

Peter covered a laugh with his mouth. I turned to him with a glare.

"What's so funny, you platinum headed idiot?

"Oh, just realizing how much of a weakling you are without your fruit. Some most of our crew could lift that barrel, and they actually know how to fight. Maybe I should be captain?"

"Over my dead body..." I said, snarling out the words in a low, growling voice.

We walked up to each other, locked eyes, and stared each other down. Chest to chest, the two of us did our best to make the other lose the battle of wills. Neither of us wanted to flinch or blink first.

"You're the one who was gargling himself to death when you heard all the threats we're dealing with. What kind of Captain passes out like that?" I said, a vicious smile on my face.

"You're one to talk, crying like a child. Pressure getting to you're head, hmm?" Peter said with satisfaction, refusing to back down.

I stiffened at that for a split second, but Silvers Dumbass over here didn't notice. That comment only fueled my anger as I balled my hands into fists.

Peter did the same, his body tensing up as he was ready to throw down.

That's when two enormous hands, the size of our heads, squished us to the ground. Like a grown adult playing with kittens.

"FUCK! GAH!" I yelled, trying to escape Bart's goliath hands and utterly failing. It was like being pinned down by a steel girder.

"GUH! RELEASE US AT ONCE, MONSTER!" Peter said, his face inches in front of mine as we both stared at each other helplessly. Our rage still alive, though.

"I'LL KILL YOU PETER!" I said, trying to chomp on him with my teeth.

"YOU FIRST, CRY BABY!" Peter said, doing his best to headbutt me with only his neck muscles.

"Now, now you too. You're both close to each other's strength. You'll do well for each other as training partners," Sando said with amusement in his voice.

"Now kith' and make up," my navigator said as he grabbed the back of our heads and slowly started pushing us closer.

"NOOOOO! MERCY! PLEASE! GOD!" I screamed, trying my best and failing to pull my head away from Peter's face.

"NO! NO! NO!" was all Peter screamed, repeatedly, as our heads and lips slowly approached each other.

"Are you guys gonna' continue fighting?" Sandokan the evil said, like an amused parent scolding his kids.

We both shook our heads, united under one common banner of not kissing each other.

Sandokan and Bart let go of the two of us as we slid as far as possible from one another.

I caught my breath, touching my chest like I just avoided being run over by a car. Peter looked just as traumatized.

"That's a sex crime, ya' know that! You're a sick man, San-do-KAN!" I said, unintentionally ending my sentence in a rhythm.

He stroked his beard and looked up, a thoughtful look and an amused frown covered his face.

"Hmm, not bad. Sick-man San-do-kan. Got a nice ring to it."

I got up, annoyed, brushing the dust off my white clothing and getting to my feet, "Let's get this done then."

"One last thing Jay, turn into your Oni form. I want to see something," he said, his eyes taking on an analytical look.

I shrugged. I closed my eyes and concentrated on what I did the first time I transformed. Half-human, half-Oni. After a few minutes of meditation, I transformed into my nine-foot-tall, reddish-brown hybrid form.

Only this time my clothing didn't fall apart or whatever happened to them before. My clothing was now stretched out onto me. My muscular, yet weirdly fat looking Oni body didn't tear apart my clothes.

I guess my pajamas were from Earth, while these clothes were from this world? That's the only thing I can think of. The rules from Earth still applied to them while they don't for me anymore. I mean, whoever sent me here was nice enough to bring my blood-splattered clothes, but it wasn't like I was injured when I got here. I only assumed my clothes would rip, I actually never bothered to put on any clothes and test it. I mean, Sando didn't go naked when he transformed. And all the other Zoan types change with their clothing. Now that I think about it, nobody's clothing gets messed up when they use their powers. Yeah, what the hell?

Well, at least I don't have to cosplay Captain Underpants anymore. Tra La LAAAAA!

Unfortunately, the clothes didn't stretch that much. Hell, even Robb Lucci's suit turned into a V-neck short-sleeve shirt when he changed. Now I looked like a fat, black guy trying to cosplay Michael Jackson wearing a white military jacket. My captain jacket was basically a vest now.

And my pants were now shorts, and really tight. But nothing tore or ripped when I moved, which I was thankful if confused about.

"What the hell, my clothes changed with me? Kind of?"

Peter started pointing and laughing at me, "Pfafafa!, you looked better when you were half-naked and wearing a diaper!"

"You're laugh sucks. I can kick your ass in this form, ya know?" I said, growling at the Piston man.

Sando shook his head, "Actually, it'd be close. As I said, you and Peter are close in strength. But that's not important, it took several minutes to transform, in a fight that is too long. We have to fix that. As for your clothing, that's normal. I don't know what was wrong with your strange clothing before. Your pants had a strange w-"

I narrowed my eyes at Sando, "They were blue."

He looked at me, confused, "What are you talking about? They had a fem-"

"They. Were. Blue." I said, dangerously.

They must never know about my Sailor Mercury Pajamas. No one must know about my crush on Sailor Mercury.

Sando finally developed telepathy, shrugging his shoulders and raising his hands in defeat.

"Fine. Whatever. Turn back from your hybrid form. We have work to do."

I shifted back into my human form, my clothing fitting comfortably again.

Peter gave a wave, "Well, you three have fun. I shall join the rest of the people over there, enjoying the music."

He turned and started walking in the direction of the musicians, only for Bart to pick him up by his collar and lift him back to us.

"Where do you think you're going? You're the third-mate, the Bosun. Maintenance is your responsibility. It's your job to check everything before we sail," the giant said, annoyed he had to explain something so simple.

I didn't know that either, but I shut up. That's how you look smarter than you are, boys and girls.

Peter, on the other hand, never seemed to have learned this lesson as he started to gesture wildly while being held up by an eighteen-foot tall man.

"What! I thought third-mate meant third in charge!"

"Yes, it does," Bart said with a grunt, "but you also have duties too. How did you want to be a pirate captain without basic knowledge like that?"

"Yeah, dummy! Even I knew that!" I said, lying through my teeth.

"I don't want to work! I just want to have adventures!" Peter said, whining as he kicked his feet and punched his arms like a child having a tantrum.

"Man, you sound like a kid for such a grown-ass man!" I said, needling him.

"I'm only twenty-four, you idiot! Can't you tell!?"

Bart and I looked at each other, then back at Peter before saying in unison, "No."

Sandokan clapped his hands as he spoke up, "Come on, enough fooling around! We have work to do."

With that, we stopped fooling around and began our journey to Notice.

+X+

It took our ship two days to reach Notice. Boy, were those two days a wake up call for me.

I think I did damn near every job on the ship at least once. Rigging the ship and pulling anchor. Moving around the equipment and supplies on top of the ship and underneath the decks. Helping to repair the damage from the battle we had with the Marines (Peter's piston powers were incredibly helpful, he was practically a pneumatic hammer). Learning how to navigate from Sando. Learning how to give orders and maintain authority on a ship from Bart. Learning nothing from Peter except how much we hated each other and how fiercely competitive we were. We turned anything we were working on together into a competition.

Honestly, I was exhausted as all hell. Any fat and unnecessary muscle on my body were slowly disappearing from the work, studying, and sweltering heat of the sea. I did not know this, but most ships didn't have fresh water on board. It could go bad sitting there below deck. Dysentery was no joke, I died from that...all the time when playing the Oregon Trail on my computer. It was the worst.

So we drank grog, yeah real grog, rum mixed with water and orange juice. Since I was sweating so much from the work and heat I had to drink a lot of grog. I was tipsy almost every second of the day.

But we were here! Alive, semi-drunk, and safe thanks to all my work. Well, not entirely me. But I felt proud of the work I did.

Now was the hard part. Notice was a rich town that lied on an island with a large mountain. From what Bart told me, they were rich due to that mountain. It was filled with silver, gold, and other precious minerals every world loved. Notice was also the hub for the North Blue, being smack dab in the center of the sea. That meant two things: a large pirate presence and a large Marine presence. There was a Marine base on the island since the town was only _technically _a town. There were less than fifty thousand people on the island. But in terms of wealth?

Let me put it to you this way, every building was brilliant, close to blindingly white. Without a speck of dirt or dust anywhere. The architecture looked like spanish colonial style mixed with baroque architecture. Red roofs, white walls, sharp edges, and corners. It was elegant, but kinda overdone in my opinion. Especially as they kept the walls of their buildings immaculate. There was not a crappy building among them. The buildings almost glew white from the sun.

The only reason I knew about architecture is that my mom was an architect, and wanted every one of her children to be an architect at one point or another. To that end, she never shut up when it came to building and room design, even teaching us how to draw...

Oh! That reminds me, I should get supplies to draw our flag.

"Jay, focus up!" Sando said as he snapped his fingers to get my attention.

We were docked and ready to get off, but we were going over the plan before we got onshore.

"Since Bart is the Quartermaster, but can't leave the ship, it'll be up to us three to gather the supplies. Bart will stay here and protect the ship," Sando said, fully decked out in a Marine Captain uniform. Even the cap.

Since Sando had the most experience in well, everything, we deferred to him on what to do. So while Sando was taking point, Peter and I were dressed in full Marine soldier uniform, ready to follow his instructions.

Sando handed Peter a list that Bart had made of the supplies we needed, "Here, you'll be visiting the local chandler and getting what we need for our ship. Some chandlers aren't able to resupply food for a ship, but I doubt a store located in a town as rich as this couldn't. Tell them to send the supplies as soon as possible."

Our fake Marine Captain gave Peter a fat stack of bills, all of them ten thousand berry, before wagging an index finger at him.

"If they ask for the money upfront, don't. Give them half. That way they'll be motivated to supply us as quickly as they can. It'll also make sure they can't completely cheat us out of our money."

Peter looked at the money with wide eyes. He quickly counted the cash and looked even more surprised and nervous.

"This is two million berry! How much do supplies cost?"

"For a ship like this: a lot," answered Sando, quickly and easily, "don't haggle with them. Only if they're asking for more than a million berry do you complain, understand?!"

Peter nodded, surprised at Sando's forcefulness.

Sando turned to me, "Your job will be to bring back the people enslaved to their homes. Remember, there are about a hundred people from here. All of them are poor, so no one noticed or cared if they went missing, but that doesn't mean we can march all hundred through the streets in slave rags. Go buy some clothing, whatever cheap stuff they have. Once they've changed clothing, escort them back to the mining district where they live in groups of tens or twenty."

He handed me a smaller stack of bills. I counted them quickly, about a million berry in denominations of ten thousand. About ten thousand US dollars when converted from berry.

I nodded seriously. I was angry that they kidnapped the poor and ignored so easily. To be sold for half the amount in my hands, each.

And after all the shit my passengers went through, all they would be getting in return is about is about fifty bucks each, some clothes, and some good luck.

It boiled my blood.

Sando placed a hand on my shoulder. He looked me in the eyes with understanding, but stern eyes, "I know that what they did to these people was disgusting and unfair. But no causing trouble, ok? That goes for you too Peter, though you shouldn't have an issue. We can't afford any trouble right now, and the ex-slaves didn't don't need attention brought down on them. No hybrid form, at all, understood Jay? In fact, no fighting at all unless absolutely necessary, ok?"

I nodded. He didn't need to worry about me. Even if I wanted to go beat up the people who enslaved all these people, we didn't know who they were. And... much to my shame, Sando was right about my strength. In my human form I found myself struggling to keep up with the in-shape, yet normal crew while doing their duties. I may be athletic and in amazing shape back on my old earth, but here I was below average. We hadn't even started training on how to fight yet, but I was not looking forward to it.

And if I went into hybrid form and caused a scene, well there goes our anonymity: one of the very few advantages we have.

"I'll go head off the Marines when they come. A battleship would normally resupply at their base. Since we aren't really Marines and former Captain Leonard is still chained up, they'll figure out quickly that something's wrong. That is, unless we explain we're in a hurry and on a vital mission. You two say the same if anyone asks. Be vague, stoic, antagonistic and use your authority as a 'Marine' if they ask any more questions. You'd be surprised how well that works," Sando said, with a large smile.

He reached over and grabbed both our shoulders, "There's a lot riding on this, and I know it's a lot of pressure for rookies like you. But we've got this, ok? You'll guys'll do beautifully. Now, let's go."

While Peter and I couldn't stand each other, we were unified in seeing our mission through. We knew how serious this was.

Our fun adventure to the grand line couldn't start until we saw to it that all these slaves were brought home.

We walked across the gangplank, its wooden echos bounced across the water as our footsteps trampled over it. Somehow, it gave me the same feeling as when I walked out of the tunnel of a stadium onto the football field. We traveled across the pier to the town proper, the quiet sound of the sea and the cawing of the seagulls juxtaposed against the dozen or so pirate ships docked on the nearby piers.

We did our best to ignore the other ships, many of them simple vessels stolen and hastily given a jolly roger by some pirate or another thinking themselves the next Gol D. Roger. Next to our behemoth of a ship, they looked like frail sailboats. But we were nervous, because it wasn't the size of the ship that made them dangerous, but its crew.

We couldn't ignore that truth.

Especially for the one ship we were worried about the most.

Basil Hawkins' ship.

* * *

Author Notes:

Hey all! I hope everything is going well for you and continues to go well!

Thank you everyone for your reviews, they really mean a lot to me!

Shout out to Lirg123 for pointing out that fruit powers change their users clothing. So thank you for pointing that out so I could fix it. Much love!

So yeah, from my research normal One Piece people are stupidly durable and stupidly strong.

For people wondering, after Notice arc is done we'll see Jamal train and get stronger. But we'll be meeting a lot of people in Notice. So fuck canon, hehehe.

Until next time dear readers!


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